


Odyssey

by leftfoottrapped (miikkaa_xx)



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Explicit Sexual Content, F/F, Road Trips, Rule 63
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-23
Updated: 2016-07-23
Packaged: 2018-07-26 02:54:41
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 21,381
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7557325
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/miikkaa_xx/pseuds/leftfoottrapped
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After university graduation, Suho invites herself on Xiumin and Lay's roadtrip to try and figure out her future.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Odyssey

**Author's Note:**

> written for the [girlexo 2k16 ficfest](http://girlexochange.livejournal.com/37595.html).
> 
>  **warnings:** language, recreational drug use with shotgunning, explicit sex including threesomes, face-sitting, rimming

-

In hindsight, all Junmyeon really remembers is the sweat on the back of her knees under her skirt. It felt gross, almost as gross as the way her thighs were stuck together, and how she felt her bangs dampen with the humid heat of Guangzhou in the summer.

She remembers sitting at the plastic table with her iced coffee and nodding as her boyfriend tells her they need to break up now that they’ve both graduated with their undergrad degrees. Yifan knows they promised to try the long-distance thing, but he’s having second thoughts because he wants to go to the States, not Beijing anymore. At least, Junmyeon thinks that’s what he said - her mind had turned mostly into that white noise that precedes panic.

‘But I already sent my things to your parents’ apartment in Hong Kong,’ she says, her fingers sliding along the condensation of the plastic cup. Her voice is calm; she has to re-organize first.

‘The place is empty till next month,’ replies Yifan. He’s apologetic, patient. ‘Is that enough time?’

‘Yeah - I’ll be moved out by then.’

‘Do you think - ’ he starts, then stops, shakes his head.

‘I don’t,’ says Junmyeon softly, because she can still read him, even if she’ll likely never see him again. ‘I don’t think we’ll get back together after this.’

-

The heat only swells in her apartment, soaking her in sweat even as she cries, hiccups, and opens up the calendar on her phone. Graduation was a week ago and her parents had flew back to Seoul three days prior. In two days is a lunch date with Yixing before she drives up from Guangzhou to Beijing on an extended roadtrip - Junmyeon had wanted to say goodbye properly.

She calls Yixing and clears her throat. Makes a good deal for a broke girl with a fresh music degree. ‘I’ll pay for the gas if you let me come with.’

Yixing doesn’t ask questions and laughs - airy and sweet. ‘There’s a luggage limit, Gangnam-jie.’

Junmyeon isn’t ruffled. ‘I’ll be fine.’

‘Then come,’ she says. ‘With me and Min-jie.’

After hanging up, Junmyeon splashes her face with water in the bathroom, then goes to her bedroom and pushes her windows open, feels the sea breeze on her cheeks.

-

Yixing is in the driver’s seat when the car pulls up in front of Junmyeon’s building near noon. Minseok helps load in Junmyeon’s small suitcase and  backpack, and offers her the passenger’s seat. ‘I hear you’re paying.’

Junmyeon huffs, getting into the backseat. ‘Not _all_ of it.’

The interior is surprisingly clean considering the car is a ten year old hand-me-down from Yixing’s parents. Personally, Junmyeon wonders if Yixing will even make it all the way from the coast to Beijing in the thing, but Yixing seems confident.

Minseok settles in the passenger’s seat, turns the volume back up until TVXQ fills up the car. Yixing is laughing as she pulls away from the curb. ‘Will we listen to anything else on this trip?’

‘Not until we get through their entire discography,’ snaps Minseok.

‘Starting from the break-up or - ’ starts Junmyeon, relaxing into the seat.

Immediately, Minseok turns around with a stern look. ‘ _All_ of it.’

Junmyeon can hear Yixing singing along and lets herself join in.

-

They talk to catch-up for the first hour - with Junmyeon avoiding the topic of Yifan - but soon lapse into silence when the ocean comes into view as Yixing takes the road along the coast, beaches not yet full of tourists and docks waiting to be filled with private boats.

The traffic is light mid-afternoon, and the drive to Hong Kong shouldn’t take more than two hours at this rate. The TVXQ is still playing - louder now that they’ve all stopped talking, and Junmyeon feels drowsy as a ballad floats through the car, accompanying the steady rumble of the engine as the car forgoes the highway for the slower, local roads to catch the most of the scenery.

Yixing lowers the volume, glancing through the rearview mirror at Junmyeon. ‘The beaches are all empty right now. Wanna grab a late lunch and eat there?’

Junmyeon nods, shaking the sleepiness off. ‘Yeah, alright.’ Her own voice sounds muffled, and she wonders if its because she keeps thinking of Yifan, how she had gone to the beach with him last summer, and he had run into the cold water when he lost a bet they had made.

She can’t remember over what. Probably something stupid.

It didn’t matter now. Junmyeon ignores the way her eyes burn and looks back out the window.

-

They eat on the cafe terrace. Minseok laughs when Yixing’s too-long hair keeps spilling over her shoulders and into her food.

‘Here,’ she says, snapping a hairband off her wrist. ‘You always forget.’

Yixing beams, sweeping her dark hair back before tying it up in a loose ponytail at the nape of her neck. ‘That’s why I have dajie,’ she sing-songs.

‘I’m not going to follow you to Beijing,’ reminds Minseok, poking Yixing’s cheek, and Yixing only flutters her eyelashes. ‘You can’t seduce me either.’

With that familiar airy laugh, Yixing goes back to her food, and Junmyeon feels a sharp pang in her chest, bites the inside of her cheek when she realizes it’s jealousy. She used to have that. That easy accompaniment and banter. She was supposed to have that _forever_.

‘You’ve been quiet,’ says Minseok, propping her cheek in her hand, eyes on Junmyeon. ‘Car sick already?’

Junmyeon latches onto the excuse a little too fast, nodding. ‘Yeah - but I’ll get over it.’

Nothing changes in Minseok’s expression, at least nothing that Junmyeon can see, but she still feels caught in her lie even when Minseok smiles at her. ‘Alright. Xing can pull over if it gets bad.’

Yixing nods, mouth full, and gives a thumbs up.

After they’re done lunch, Junmyeon is feeling drowsy again, before Yixing stretches her arms over her head and says, ‘finally. Can we break out the weed now?’

-

The beach is empty but Junmyeon still feels just a little paranoid as she sits in the sand, feeling the sand stick to her sweaty thighs. Her hair’s too short to pull back, even if her bangs are growing out to swing into her eyes if she doesn’t pin it to the side, and Junmyeon can feel the sun burn against the back of her neck. She can imagine the ridiculous crisscrossing of tanlines already - the horizontal stripe of her bra and the curve of her dress collar under her shoulderblades.

Minseok and Yixing are also pale, but they both tan under the sun readily. Junmyeon can’t help but stare at them both - still unable to understand how _beautiful_ they can be while Junmyeon just feels red-faced and sticky with sweat.

Yixing had a pre-rolled joint in the centre console, her lighter in the pocket of her sundress, and Minseok had led the way from the parking lot to a far corner of the beach as to avoid any other people wandering around.

The first hit goes to Yixing, of course - her hair has come loose again, falling in rivers and streams over her shoulder and down her back, would fall over her face too if she didn’t tuck some of it behind her ears. Her mouth purses pink and cute around the joint and inhales, passing it over to Minseok beside her before she exhales slow and even.

Junmyeon’s smoked before, just not in broad daylight. She hadn’t gotten it right the first few times, sitting there painfully sober as her friends melted into the couch or the grass around her, wondering if maybe even drugs couldn’t quell the anxiety that always writhed in her belly.

‘The first time I got actually high was with Jongdae,’ she blurts when Minseok reaches past Yixing to give Junmyeon the joint.

Minseok stares for a moment before cracking up. ‘Still can’t believe you were with _Jongdae_ back in second year.’

‘He’s not bad,’ offers Yixing, stretching her legs out under her soft green sundress, the skirt ending mid-thigh. As a dancer, her legs aren’t pretty - half-faded bruises around her calves, pale scars along the shins. Junmyeon inhales deep from the joint and thinks about tracing the marks with her fingers, hoping none of it still hurt.

‘You like everyone,’ accuses Minseok. She’s in a loose red tanktop overtop a black sports bra, the front of the tank tucked in the waistband of her denim shorts. The sunlight and shadow slide over the soft curves of her biceps, and Junmyeon wonders if all of Minseok is bulk.

‘That’s true.’ Yixing takes the joint from Junmyeon, passes it off to Minseok after inhaling. ‘There we go.’

‘The first time I got high was the first year of high school,’ says Minseok after a minute. The joint is short and Junmyeon fumbles to hold it properly as she takes her second hit, passes it along. ‘First  time I kissed a girl too.’

Junmyeon glances at Minseok’s mouth - the pronounced curve of her top lip, almost cat-like, especially when she sucks on the joint when Yixing’s done. ‘How was it?’

The high is taking hold of Junmyeon’s bones, stretching her out so that her anxiety is so far below her throat, her mouth, her _brain_ , that she feels like she could say anything now without worrying about it. Her third hit is good, amplifies the feeling.

‘Kissing a girl?’ Minseok sounds amused. ‘Better than a boy.’ She runs her thumb along her bottom lip. ‘Less… wet. More slow, patient. It felt so easy.’

Yixing makes a soft noise. ‘Dajie, shotgun me.’

‘You just want an extra hit,’ says Minseok, rolling her eyes, but taking the joint from Yixing’s fingers. She inhales, then cups Yixing’s cheek, pressing their open mouths together so she can exhale the smoke. Yixing’s hair almost hides the sight from view but Minseok has pushed it aside with her fingers, like she wants to show it off to Junmyeon. Show off kissing a girl.

Minseok pulls away, smiles at Junmyeon. ‘You wanna try?’

Junmyeon’s a lightweight, doesn’t think she could steady herself enough for kissing a beautiful girl, especially not Minseok. ‘I’m alright.’

The joint is almost a stub. Minseok takes the last hit and crushes it into the sand.

‘No littering,’ scolds Yixing, picking up the remnants and pocketing it. She glances at Junmyeon. ‘Sorry - we should have warned you.’

Junmyeon furrows her brow. ‘About what?’

‘About this trip,’ she says. ‘If you’re uncomfy with the weed and the kissing and anything else that happens, you should say so.’

Shaking her head, Junmyeon looks out into the ocean, following the curves of the waves, how the water glimmers under the sun. ‘I think I need something like this.’

The silence is peaceful. Minseok suggests they nap under the shade of the rocky bluff near the end of the sand belt.

With Yixing snoring softly beside her, Junmyeon stares up at the blue sky and lets her tears silently streak across her face.

-

Back in the car, it’s mid-evening. The rush hour is petering out and they’re following the coastline again. Junmyeon taps out the beat of the song on her thigh, smiling softly as Minseok sings along, knowing all of the obscure songs by TVXQ.

As they cross the border from Shenzhen into Hong Kong, Junmyeon reaches forward and lowers the volume of the song, catching both Yixing and Minseok’s attention.

‘’Sup?’ asks Minseok, glancing back. Yixing can’t spare the distraction, but she catches Junmyeon’s eyes in the rearview mirror.

‘Yifan’s parents have an apartment - in downtown Hong Kong,’ starts Junmyeon, then immediately regrets it. ‘I mean - me and Yifan, we broke up.’ The moment the words escape her mouth, Junmyeon feels nauseous and shuts up, sitting back and bracing herself.

For a long moment, neither of the two say anything, then Yixing breaks the silence. ‘Is that why you called me that day?’

‘Yes,’ says Junmyeon, feeling almost ashamed now. She shouldn’t burden them like this on their post-graduation roadtrip, shouldn’t be anything less than carefree and elated about just relaxing with two friends for a few days. ‘I’m sorry.’ Her eyes start burning again. ‘I’m sorry.’

‘You liked him a lot,’ says Minseok. ‘Anyone could tell.’ She reaches back, grasps one of Junmyeon’s hands. ‘It’s okay to feel messed up about it.’

‘We were - I - ’ Junmyeon inhales sharply, squeezing Minseok’s hand. ‘I - I just had this all planned out. I knew how it would all go. Me and Yifan - I - we were going to get _engaged_ after graduation, and I was - I was going to do an internship with Yifan’s mother while he went off to Beijing - god - ’ Junmyeon’s crying now, hating how she keeps spilling all these thoughts onto them - ‘we were going to get _married_ , everything was _set_ \- and now - now I don’t know - where do I go now - ’

She’s all heaving sobs now, her face splotchy red and ugly when she catches her reflection in the rearview mirror. Pulling away from Minseok, she tries to hide her face, spare them the sight, and squeezes her eyes shut, tries to disappear into the backseat and out of existence.

It takes a minute for her to realize the car’s stopped moving. They’ve pulled into a parking lot of a convenience store that’s silhouetted against the orange-streaked sky while the sun sets. On either side, the back doors open and she feels Minseok and Yixing settle into the seat, Junmyeon in the middle.

‘Junmian-jie,’ murmurs Yixing, using her height and long limbs to wrap Junmyeon into a hug and let Junmyeon hide her face in the crook of her neck. ‘It’s okay.’

From behind, Minseok rubs her spine in soothing circles, making soft noises of comfort to accompany Yixing’s croons. They’re so close, Junmyeon thinks, so in-sync, and another stab of jealousy goes through her, making her feel sick.

‘I don’t want to be alone,’ blurts Junmyeon, shoulders bunching up at her own vulnerability. ‘I just - don’t want to be lost and alone.’

‘Junmian,’ sighs Yixing, her voice so soft and sweet. ‘We won’t let that happen.’

‘Yifan might be gone, but we’re still here,’ continues Minseok, sounding confident and steady. ‘You still have friends, Myeonnie-ah.’

Eventually, Junmyeon stops sobbing, trying to breathe properly, but doesn’t make a move to leave the comfortable embrace of Yixing. Yixing smells like weed and sweat and lavender deoderant and Junmyeon could fall asleep here with how tired she is from finally crying it all out.

‘I can drive us the rest of the way to the hostel,’ says Minseok after a moment.  ‘You two stay here.’

‘No - no,’ starts Junmyeon, lifting her head, only to be faced with the warm brown eyes of Yixing, her full bottom lip stretched in a soft smile. ‘You can - ah, I’m so - ’

‘You can stay right here,’ says Yixing, leaning her cheek against the top of Junmyeon’s head, obviously comfortable. ‘What were you saying?’

Clearing her throat, Junmyeon tries to be more coherent this time. ‘I have a key to Yifan’s parents’ apartment. They’re off travelling, so the place is empty and all my boxes of stuff are there. So - we can stay there while I make reservations to get my stuff sent to my parents’ place in Seoul. Shouldn’t take more than two days.’

Minseok lets out a low whistle. ‘You mean we get to spend a couple nights in a rich, furnished apartment for _free_?’

‘Gangnam-jie perks,’ says Junmyeon with a half-smile, and feels something in her loosen when they both laugh.

When they’re back on the road - Yixing still curled around Junmyeon in the backseat - Minseok remarks: ‘at least you got your breakdown done on the first day, now we get to spend the next week on self-care.’

Junmyeon snorts. ‘Are you two gonna have your breakdowns too?’

‘I’m over mine. What do you think fourth year was?’

Yixing laughs. ‘I’m the last one then - ah, what should mine be about?’

‘You have too much weed to have a breakdown,’ mumbles Junmyeon, but Minseok manages to catch it and laughs long and loud.

-

The apartment is furnished with overpriced art and uncomfortable seating furniture, but the two bedrooms have the softest linens that Junmyeon falls onto the mattress almost immediately. Her boxes are stacked up in the second bedroom where she sleeps, letting Yixing and Minseok share the other.

In the morning, she battles the shower controls and stands under the spray for much too long, basking in the heat. By the time she comes out, dressed with her wet hair curling at the ends around her cheeks, Yixing’s found the coffee maker and three mugs.

‘Feeling better?’ Yixing asks, her long hair still tousled from sleep. ‘Minseok went out to get breakfast and instant coffee.’

‘I should look up some movers,’ says Junmyeon, though her phone doesn’t get data in Hong Kong. ‘I’ll hole up in an internet cafe somewhere while you guys go out.’

Yixing clicks her tongue, sitting down at the small kitchen table, gesturing for Junmyeon to follow. ‘They’re open 24/7, Junmian. Come be a tourist with us for a little while.’

‘I just,’ Junmyeon starts, stops. ‘I’m…’

‘Embarrassed?’

Junmyeon ducks her gaze at the table, gives a tiny nod.

‘Dajie might not admit it, but we’re lost too,’ says Yixing, propping her chin on her hand, lashes low over her eyes. ‘I don’t really think of it - about careers, but dajie, she has dreams, and I think… she’s anxious on how to begin.’

‘She can do it,’ says Junmyeon. ‘I know Minseok, she can do anything.’

‘Maybe spare some of that confidence for yourself,’ she replies. ‘You can replan everything after you’ve gone home, but for now - let’s just all get lost for a little while.’

‘While we can, you mean.’

‘Does that sound too bad?’

Junmyeon shakes her head, looks up when Yixing reaches over to hold her hand in a warm, solid grip. Her belly - tight with anxiety - loosens, and Junmyeon breathes, smiles.

-

Victoria Harbour is humid and the ocean spray coming in on the breeze wakes them all up as they walk around - Yixing’s arm linked through Junmyeon’s as Minseok takes pictures of them standing in front of whatever seems pretty.

The shopping is meant for the richer end of tourists, so they grab a bus that leads them out  to Sham Shui Po where the locals have already set up their markets and street food stalls. Minseok hangs back, eyes on the picture menus displayed, until Junmyeon finds the rusty Cantonese in the back of her mind and tries it on a vendor.

The vendor must see right through her, but the egg waffles served up are sweet and cheap.

Getting lost, she thinks, must be something like this; walking, talking, cooing and laughing, eating, teasing, the crinkle of paper around the egg waffles, the sugar on Junmyeon’s tongue, the surprised noise of apology Yixing makes as she weaves around the crowd, the constant request for pauses by Minseok to capture the sight, the darkening sky and seagulls screeching, the smell of smoke, gasoline, oil, fish clinging to their clothes, the receding tide before the wave of the night time locals, the warm hand on Junmyeon’s arm so she doesn’t vanish, held between Yixing and Minseok, getting lost together.

When they come home at night - bellies full of curried fish balls, fingers sticky with fruit, feet aching from walking - Yixing and Minseok bid her goodnight before going into their bedroom, leaving Junmyeon feeling strangely alone, surrounded by boxes and staring sleepily at the dark ceiling.

-

The Big Buddha Statue is exactly what one expects.

The temples are better - the paint looks completely new along the varnished wood, the incense thick in the humid air between the hallways. The heat still follows them even in the shaded corners, still sticks to the back of Junmyeon’s knees as her muffled footsteps follow behind Yixing, who is obviously leading.

Yixing’s always been like this - interested in something beyond reality, beyond the known and the seen. Minseok’s too practical, Junmyeon too anxious. The future is already nerve-wracking enough, she can’t worry about the afterlife at this rate.

But there’s something calming in how Yixing speaks - her voice airy and light, her hair slipping in front of her face when she leans over to peer closer at a scroll, a statue. The elegant gestures of her fingets that follow the motions of the smoke in the air, dissipating languidly, leaving nothing but a scent of lavender behind.

The shadows play over Yixing’s collarbone, her nose, her cheekbones, the lovely indent of her dimple. Her smile is a lot more transcendent than recitten sutra, and her skin smells of sweat and soap, so much reassuring than anything being burnt at an altar. Junmyeon thinks it would be easy to worship at someone so groundingly human like Yixing with her calm centre than an unseeing statue placed too far away to touch.

-

After dinner, they help Junmyeon camp out at an internet cafe, and get the movers’ booking done for the day after tomorrow. Her parents already know about her return, and had stopped their interrogation as to what went wrong when Junmyeon started crying on the phone. Junmyeon suspects they’re saving it up for when she comes home sometime in the next two weeks.

For now, it’s fine to blow her family’s money on this - gas and food and small trinkets she picks up from here and there. The three of them are being embarrassingly obvious tourists, even when it was too early for the season, but Junmyeon can’t find she cares. Focus on this this _this_ \- that’s all Yixing and Minseok want from her, and Junmyeon can bite back her anxieties for that.

-

The third day and the fourth day blend together. Junmyeon foots their alcohol bill one night and giggles as Minseok drinks Yixing under the table. It’s hard to balance her flailing long limbs between them to get her back to the apartment, but somehow they manage - if mostly due to Minseok’s muscle.

While Yixing is passed out in the main bedroom, Minseok drinks some water and splays herself over the couch, looking like that special kind of contemplative that only comes when it’s three in the morning and there’s enough buzz from the booze to leave a tongue loose.

‘Myeonnie-ah,’ starts Minseok, not tearing her gaze away from the ceiling. Junmyeon is on the loveseat perpendicular to the couch. She could reach out and tickle the bottom of Minseok’s feet if she wanted, but it feels too playful when she can sense something heavier in the air.

For now, she just hums in reply, drawing her knees up close, uncaring of how her dress falls around her thighs. It’s not like anyone was looking.

‘I never… I never thanked you, about the whole Luhan thing,’ says Minseok softly. Her eyes close, and Junmyeon can tell she’s embarrassed.

‘Hey, we were all there for you,’ says Junmyeon, trying to ease her. Next month would make it a year since Luhan left, and Junmyeon can feel a clench in her chest when Minseok’s eyes grow distant still at the thought of him. It’s not like her and Yifan are comparable to Minseok and Luhan anyway - she shouldn’t worry she’ll be unable to move on.

Still. Minseok is the dajie, the eldest out of all of them, the most responsible, the most careful, the most - _everything_. If Minseok can’t do it - how could Junmyeon, feeling like a scrambling kid next to her.

‘I mean you, Junmyeon,’ says Minseok, turning her head to look at the other. ‘You’re a good friend. You just listened, and made sure I wasn’t alone, even when I just told everyone to back off. Then again,’ she laughs here, teasing, ‘you are the most stubborn out of all of us, always getting what you want, right Gangnam-jie?’

Junmyeon can’t help but duck her face behind her knees, embarrassed, pleased. ‘You’re important.’ She blinks slowly, feeling the sweep of her lashes over the skin of her kneecaps. ‘I just wanted you to be okay.’

‘So are you,’ replies Minseok. Her typical high ponytail has come loose, strands falling over her cheek, temple, highlighting all the pretty diamond planes of her face, how her eyes glitter from the streetlights coming through the window. ‘I wanna make sure you’re okay too.’

‘This is good.’ Junmyeon can’t help but trace over how gorgeous Minseok looks in the gloom - her shorts riding up muscled thighs, the edges of her bra peeking out from the collar of her tanktop; a familiar mix of admiration and envy settles into Junmyeon’s stomach. ‘Takes my mind off things.’

‘You can ask for more.’

‘More?’

Minseok seems unimpressed, eyebrows raised. ‘Go out. Kiss someone. Let them make you feel… spoiled, y’know.’

Junmyeon huffs out a disbelieving laugh. ‘Summer roadtrip romance?’

‘Why not?’ Minseok challenges.

She shifts on the loveseat, lowering her knees and looking around the living room. ‘I just… feel comfortable with you two.’

There’s a silence that stretches out too long, making Junmyeon’s skin prickle with nervousness, eager to break it, when Minseok does first. ‘I can do that.’

‘What?’

Minseok grins, so clearly still tipsy in Junmyeon’s opinion. ‘Kiss you. I can do that.’

‘Unnie,’ blurts Junmyeon, feeling her ears start to burn red. ‘What - don’t - it’s okay, I don’t need - not from - oh god.’

‘Yixing’s better at it,’ croons Minseok, seeing the embarrassment. ‘Maybe she’ll be better than Yifan; you should try it.’

‘ _Minseok_ ,’ she sputters, knowing for sure her entire face was red.

‘You’re so cute.’ She rolls onto her back, then sits up, rubbing at her cheek. ‘We should get to bed though. Want some water?’

‘Did you mean that?’ Junmyeon says instead.

Minseok glances at her. ‘Of course.’

After Minseok’s got water and entered the bedroom sharing with Yixing, Junmyeon lingers in the hallway, holding onto her own glass, and wondering if they’ve kissed while Junmyeon was asleep. Wondering what the difference Minseok was talking about. Wondering what it’s like to be in a bed with two other people instead of just one. Junmyeon doesn’t get much sleep that night.

-

The movers wake them up - three groggy, semi-hungover girls with bad Canto trying to direct them to where the boxes are and where they go.

By noon, it’s done, and Junmyeon can’t help but feel it was a little anticlimactic. Yixing suggests they keep driving. ‘We’ve spent almost four days here - that’s breaking the roadtrip rules.’

‘There’s roadtrip rules?’ asks Junmyeon, going for her third cup of coffee in the kitchen.

‘Don’t stay for too long in one place,’ pipes up Minseok, already looking better than both of them as she pulls up her hair in a ponytail. Today, she’s in shorts and a Manchester United jersey, two small studs in her earlobes. ‘I’m ready to go.’

Junmyeon takes a long drink from her mug. ‘Some of us aren’t morning people.’

Minseok snorts, checking the time on her phone. ‘You got fifteen minutes or else I’ll take the car myself and leave.’

‘Cassie,’ whines Yixing, still sitting sleepily at the kitchen table. Her hair is all in her face, in dire need of Minseok’s fussing. ‘Don’t take her away.’

‘Then let’s go.’

-

The next major city they want to hit is Shanghai - a fifteen hour drive according to the GPS.

Over the blaring of Purple Line, Junmyeon turns in the passenger seat to look back at Yixing and ask, ‘are we gonna stay with Jongdae?’

Yixing nods. ‘He said I should visit if I ever came by so I told him we’d crash at his place.’

Minseok lowers the volume, flicking her eyes up at the rearview mirror. ‘What are you guys talking about?’

‘We should call and stay with Zhongda,’ says Yixing.

‘His apartment is probably tiny.’

‘We can all squeeze in together - Junmian’s great at cuddling.’

Junmyeon makes a noise - the drunken conversation with Minseok coming to the forefront of her brain. ‘I can afford us a hotel room.’

‘That’s cheating,’ scolds Yixing.

‘Another rule - be as uncomfortable as possible, apparently,’ drawls Minseok.

‘You were very comfortable at Yifan’s place,’ says Yixing, and even if she doesn’t mean the innuendo, it leaks through into Junmyeon’s awareness anyway, coalescing unfairly with all the other images - cuddling, kissing, how gorgeous they both were, how Junmyeon knows she’s pretty too but she can’t help but feel a little outshined by her friends at times.

Junmyeon must have reacted, because Minseok is laughing. ‘Junmyeon-ah’s already going to have a heart attack.’

‘Eh?’ Yixing says from the back. ‘What happened?’

‘We didn’t sleep together,’ says Minseok, her voice going for reassuring but vibrating with muffled laughter. ‘At least not at the apartment.’

‘What,’ says Junmyeon, feeling a bit overwhelmed.

‘After Lu-ge left, we had sex,’ says Yixing like she’s commenting on the traffic. ‘It happens sometimes.’

‘Oh.’

Minseok bites back another burst of laughter, cranking the volume up so TVXQ drowns out anything else, as they keep driving. Junmyeon slouches down into her seat, not exactly surprised as much as embarrassed by how _casual_ they both seemed about it. Junmyeon’s the last thing from a prude, but this new knowledge has her thinking of her friends in bed - lean, angled Yixing over top Minseok’s bulk, _god_ \- and then a new worry springing up - Junmyeon as the third wheel.

It takes her three songs to finally ask, voice soft once the ballad trails off: ‘Am I… interrupting? Was this just for the two of you?’

Minseok takes her hand off the gear shift and tangles her fingers in between Junmyeon’s, not taking her eyes off the road in front of her. ‘We want you here.’

The highway stretches before Junmyeon’s eyes, disappearing in a series of curves before hitting the horizon in the distance. From the rearview mirror, she can see wind coming in from the open back window whips at Yixing’s hair, blowing the strands into a mess all around her content expression as she watches the ocean shimmer to the east.

Yixing seems to catch the gaze, locking eyes in the mirror. ‘It’s better this way.’

It’s how they say it that squeezes Junmyeon’s chest tight - simple, straightforward, _sincere_. She holds onto Minseok’s hand, wondering if the fierce flare of affection just now can be felt. When Minseok throws her a happy grin, Junmyeon believes they can.

-

It’s a seven hour drive to Xiamen. The evening sky is already darkening, with the sun  silhouetting the city, casting long shadows that melt into the dimness as the day comes to an end.

‘The gates lock at midnight,’ Yixing had reassured as they pulled into the port city, navigating tight streets that seemed so empty compared to the hectic bustle of Hong Kong’s nightlife. The hostel itself was an old house with chipped paint and a weathered courtyard wall, and Junmyeon couldn’t help but trace her fingers along the cracks, amazed it was still standing.

The payment is done quickly, and they end up in a room with two bunk beds, four twin mattresses. Minseok takes the upper bunk and Junmyeon settles underneath, Yixing also choosing the lower bunk across from her. It’s somehow more comforting this way - all three of them in a room, instead of separated like in Hong Kong.

‘Not lonely over there?’ Junmyeon asks, pulling off her dress to put on a loose t-shirt and boxer shorts.

‘It’s further away than being in the backseat, but I’ll try to survive,’ replies Yixing with a grin.

She’s in a nightie with a low collar, and Junmyeon supposes it would look more scandalous if Yixing had any sort of cleavage to work with, can’t help but comment on it to Minseok changing beside her.

‘A beanpole,’ agrees Minseok, exchanging her jersey for a tanktop, laughing when Yixing makes a soft whining noise.

‘I gave it all to Junmian,’ says Yixing, plugging her wall charger next to the bunk along with her phone. ‘She has better boobs than both of us.’

Junmyeon crosses her arms, pushing her breasts out. ‘They _are_ nice, aren’t they?’

‘Stop showing off,’ says Minseok, smacking her shoulder. ‘We already know you’re the prettiest one here.’

Her first instinct is to preen, and she does, pleased as she sits on the mattress and connects her phone to the wifi. ‘They make up for my lack of abs and - ’ Junmyeon gestures vaguely to all of Minseok with one hand, ‘ - and all of that.’

‘It’s a lot,’ agrees Yixing across from her.

‘It’s varsity soccer,’ says Minseok, rolling her eyes as she climbs the ladder onto the upper bunk. ‘I saw signs for a ferry to Taipei from here.’

‘Oh,’ coos Yixing. ‘Should we go?’

‘I went to Taipei with Yifan once, a year back,’ says Junmyeon, scrolling through the messages on her phone, typing as she talks. ‘I remember researching how the ferries work. It’s an overnight trip mostly for tourists. The ferry stops at an island midway for the night then goes to Taipei.’

Yixing makes a face. ‘I’ll be across the ocean from Cassie for so many days.’

‘You haven’t even touched Cassie on this trip,’ snorts Minseok. ‘Your keyboard will live without you.’

‘I didn’t pack her with my things because I wanted to keep her close,’ says Yixing primly.

‘Anyway,’ continues Minseok, voice flat, ‘heading up to Shanghai sounds more appealing.’

‘I’ll text Jongdae-ah,’ says Junmyeon. ‘We should stay for a day around here tomorrow.’

‘Fresh seafood,’ sighs Minseok happily. ‘Sounds like a plan. Xing-ah?’

Yixing is sprawled out on her bunk already, her phone propped up on her pillow as she swipes at the screen with her fingers. ‘We’ll give the car a break and I’ll drive the rest of the way up since dajie did the first half.’

‘Jongdae- ah - we - will - be at - your - place - in two days,’ recites Junmyeon as she types out her text. ‘Sent.’

-

Breakfast is free in the kitchen - fresh, warm rice in the rice cooker and a carton of eggs and frying pan next to the burner, tea steeping in the pot. There’s a dozen other guests milling around while Minseok - with some preternatural ability - manages to locate the coffee in less than a few seconds of them entering the kitchen.

Junmyeon is still half-asleep, nursing a mug of coffee to her chest, while Yixing serves them bowls of warm rice and a cooked egg over top. The white noise of conversation drifts past her even as Minseok sits across from her, gesturing for Junmyeon to start eating already.

‘I should make you go running with me in the morning,’ she teases, and Junmyeon makes a horrified noise from the back of her throat, hiding her face behind her mug to take another swallow of coffee.

Yixing is settled next to Junmyeon, looking around at the other guests. ‘We should ask someone if there’s anything to see.’

‘There has to be wifi somewhere to search up some stuff,’ says Minseok, breaking apart her egg with her chopsticks. ‘Let’s check out the beach too - probably not busy yet.’

Junmyeon makes some other noise of agreement and starts in on her breakfast when an unfamiliar voice interrupts them: ‘you guys Korean too?’

They all look up - seeing three guys standing next to their table. The one who spoke looks young, with an uncertain smile on his mouth. Minseok is the first to react: ‘just me and Junmyeon. You too?’

‘Yeah, yeah.’ The guy’s face brightens as he gestures at the table. ‘Mind if we join?’

‘Not at all.’

Junmyeon finally uses the awake parts of her brain to register the others: the young one introduces himself as Baekhyun, his shorter and stone-faced friend Kyungsoo, and the tall, chatty Chanyeol. She’s grateful that Minseok and Yixing are holding down on the conversation because Junmyeon figures it’ll be at least another cup of coffee before she’s up to talking to anyone properly.

Chanyeol talks the most, but Baekhyun isn’t to be left behind, shooting questions at Junmyeon like, ‘Where you guys from? Where you going? You guys know Mando - damn!’ and Junmyeon smiles politely back and agrees with him in monosyllables.

Near the end of breakfast, Junmyeon is finally awake, taking over for Yixing who spaces out of small talk easily. ‘Gonna head out to the ferry today?’

Baekhyun shakes his head. ‘Nah, gonna take a walk around town - our ferry leaves tomorrow anyway, so we thought we’d check out a little bit of Xiamen.’

‘Kyungsoo wanted to see some old stuff,’ says Chanyeol, laughing.

‘Shut up,’ says Kyungsoo, scowl marring his previous stoneface.

‘What kind of stuff? Yixing really likes checking out the history of places,’ says Junmyeon, and Kyungsoo’s expression instantly softens, his voice soft as he explains some landmarks around and a trail to walk.

Somehow, Junmyeon has them all added onto her kakao before they all part ways, and stares at Minseok and Yixing tucked together, giggling at Junmyeon.

‘What?’ Junmyeon asks.

‘C’mon, let’s just go,’ says Minseok instead. ‘We have some old stuff to look at.’

-

The humidity shouldn’t be a surprise but it feels heavier in Xiamen than in Guangzhou. Junmyeon follows her friends until they end up at the Buddhist temple nearby some botanical gardens. Minseok takes pictures and Yixing talks about the mountains back home while they look around, taking in the familiar smells of earth and wood and incense around them.

The botanical gardens is impressive for its sheer size compared to the small condensed residential district they walked from. Junmyeon takes a few pictures on her phone to send to her parents when she’s back in the hostel’s wifi zone. All in all, it’s better than being stuck in the car for eight hours again and Junmyeon can feel better after walking around for a couple hours.

They have a late lunch at a food stall - fresh seafood caught from the early morning served up to them. Junmyeon watches the sea shimmer in the horizon as they eat, her mind blank for the first time in a while. She sighs into her water bottle, chest loose, stomach sated, and catches Yixing watching her from under her lashes with a soft expression on her face.

‘You good?’ she asks.

‘Yeah,’ replies Junmyeon, meaning it.

-

After killing a couple more hours at the beach, they head up to a restaurant to spoil themselves for dinner.

‘Alcohol too!’ says Yixing, drumming her fingers on the table as they scan the menus. ‘Since we leave tomorrow, we have to make tonight worth it.’

Junmyeon laughs and agrees, ordering a plethora of dishes, while Minseok serves the shots of baijiu. ‘Cheers, cheers,’ insists Yixing, clicking her glass against the others and drinking it down. The alcohol hits Junmyeon’s tongue hard after not drinking for a couple weeks, warms her stomach till it feels fuzzy.

The food comes out hot, laid out in wide plates between the three of them.  They dig in, eager and hungry. Most of the chatter is about how the food tastes - spicy and hot and _good_ , Xiamen seafood specialties that only taste better with fragrant shots of baijiu.

They work through the many plates and manage to down an entire bottle before Minseok orders another on, her manners perfect despite having helped drink so much. Junmyeon is warm and tipsy, the food diluting the alcohol easily while Yixing seems to act the same - just a little airheaded even when sober.

With the arrival of the second bottle, most of the plates are cleared. A dish of fried shrimp and now cool bowl of rice are still around, and Junmyeon picks at the fish like it’s just finger food with her new drink.

Yixing takes her shot with a grin, sighing happily. ‘It tastes like _home_.’

‘You mean you and Luhan getting plastered in your own apartment on the weekends,’ snorts Minseok, refilling the glass.

‘Are you even drunk yet?’ Junmyeon asks, peering at the pink flush on Yixing’s cheeks, the same pink as the lovely curve of her bottom lip.

‘I - ’ Yixing pauses, purses her lips in thought, and then nods. ‘Yes. Definitely.’

‘You’re so weird,’ says Minseok, popping a shrimp into her mouth.

Junmyeon checks her phone, sees it’s a quarter past eleven at night. ‘It’s late already.’

‘We’re just getting started,’ whines Yixing.

Even Minseok agrees. ‘We can stay out a little longer.’

‘Alright.’ Junmyeon turns her phone screen off and takes a shot of her baijiu. It burns warm and familiar now down her esophagus.

‘By the way - we’re seeing _Zhongda_ tomorrow,’ coos Yixing, eyes glittering.

Junmyeon furrows her brows. ‘ _And_?’

Minseok clicks her tongue. ‘And we talked remember. That night back in Hong Kong.’

When she’s not sober, it feels easier to recall the memory, to visualize the way the light had highlighted Minseok’s cheeks, the arch of her eyebrows, how beautiful she was as she explained to Junmyeon that they could - they could _kiss_.

‘Kissing,’ blurts Junmyeon, then backtracks. ‘I mean - kissing someone. For fun.’

Yixing leans forward, almost conspiratorial. ‘We can leave you and Zhongda alone for a couple hours, y’know. For kissing. And stuff.’

‘And stuff,’ replies Junmyeon flatly. ‘We broke up years back - it was a first year fling.’

‘No shame in asking a friend for help,’ says Minseok, sipping her baijiu delicately. ‘Especially if they’re clearly still  into you.’

Junmyeon sputters, goes red. ‘We’re not - we don’t - I’m not sleeping with Jongdae to get over Yifan.’

‘No, no, it’s for _fun_ ,’ corrects Yixing. ‘Friendly orgasms, yes?’

She can’t even deign to respond, still trying to figure out where this idea even _came_ from.

‘Or those boys from the morning,’ says Minseok. ‘Baekhyun was trying to get your attention the entire time, and Kyungsoo couldn’t take his eyes off you.’

‘What? When?’ Junmyeon racks her brain trying to remember this. ‘It was the _morning_ \- I was still sleepy, how would I have noticed?’

‘You have options is all we’re saying,’ Yixing says. ‘Some hostel boy you’ll never see again or maybe Zhongda who already knows how to make you come.’

Junmyeon makes another choked noise and stuffs her mouth with food to buy time. Minseok and Yixing both watch her expectantly, waiting for her to accept their clearly ludicrous idea to have casual sex with some _boy_ she didn’t even notice flirting with her. Or even _Jongdae_ , who would happily fuck her if she asked, because Jongdae has trouble understanding platonic boundaries, and Junmyeon can’t get wrapped up in him again. At least not now - not when she was still trying to figure herself out. Getting another boyfriend wasn’t a solution either.

‘I’m not - c’mon, you two,’ says Junmyeon, exasperated. ‘I just - I just want to be with the both of you for now.’

‘No boy to blow off _any_ steam?’ Yixing asks, a last-ditch effort.

‘ _No_ ,’ she replies firmly. ‘No boys. I think I’m done with boys for a while.’

‘Understandable,’ says Minseok. ‘It’s either the one boy or no boy at all.’

She knows Minseok means Luhan - Luhan who loved Minseok with every fibre of his being until he was drafted into national football and had to move to Beijing. Luhan who was Minseok’s biggest fan, Luhan who cried openly - ugly and red-faced - when he broke the news, Luhan who knew he had to move and did so only when Minseok promised him they’d see each other one day.

Junmyeon had once thought that Yifan could’ve been her _one_. They weren’t all-consumed by each other the way Luhan and Minseok were inseparable, having silent conversations and loving each other with that obvious adoration that made everyone turn their head and look.

But her and Yifan - they were still _good_. Still warm, still sweet and kind, with an easiness that Junmyeon had never experienced with a boy before. No fairytale love story, but a lovely mutual adoration that pulled two people together. In hindsight, sitting at the table with her baijiu, Junmyeon thinks It was obvious now that they hadn’t been good enough.

‘No boy at all,’ says Junmyeon quietly. ‘Not for this summer.’

‘Then it’s just us,’ says Yixing. ‘Me and Junmian and Xiu-jie.’

‘Yeah,’ says Minseok. ‘That works for me.’

‘Does that mean…’ Yixing trails off, then shakes her head. ‘Nevermind.’

‘Now you _have_ to ask,’ teases Junmyeon. ‘We’re all curious.’

Yixing pouts for a moment, then - with that easy soft voice, a gentle expression - asks: ‘does that mean you’ll sleep with us?’

‘ _Yixing_!’ Minseok laughs, smacking Yixing’s arm. ‘Don’t tease her like that. She’s never even kissed a girl.’

Junmyeon stares for a long moment at them both and blurts, ‘can I?’

Minseok freezes and Yixing looks up at Junmyeon carefully. ‘Junmian, you’re drunk.’

‘For real,’ mutters Minseok, pulling Junmyeon’s empty baijiu glass away. ‘Nevermind all this.’

‘I - but,’ Junmyeon stumbles, tries to grasp the words to describe this curious twist in her stomach. ‘I mean - I like - I like girls.’

‘I’m glad,’ says Yixing sweetly. ‘We can talk about it tomorrow if you still want.’

‘If you still _remember_ ,’ says Minseok.

For a moment, Junmyeon recoils, feeling like she’s been scolded, shamed. Something cold fills her, dampens the fuzzy drunkness underneath her skin, but then Minseok is pushing another full shot glass back over the table at her, telling her to drink.

Junmyeon takes the shot, letting the warmth fill her again, and Yixing talks about the beach now.

-

‘So,’ says Yixing, tugging at the bars of the iron gate that locks the courtyard. ‘Apparently we missed curfew.’

It’s two in the morning and residential district is quiet; Junmyeon interrupts the silence with a loud burp then promptly covers his mouth while Minseok starts cackling.

‘How should we get in?’ Junmyeon glances between the gate and the courtyard wall that’s only a few centimetres taller than Yixing. ‘Are we going to climb it?’

‘Let’s give Xingxing a boost,’ says Minseok, already hunched at the base of the wall, her fingers locked and palms up for Yixing to step onto.

‘This is breaking and entering,’ gasps Junmyeon.

Yixing glances at her and adjusts her dress. ‘It’s fine.’

Junmyeon is most definitely drunk as she stumbles while trying to menace Yixing by marching up to her, chin knocked upwards imperiously. ‘This will ruin my political career.’

Minseok collapses against the wall in laughter.

‘Junmian,’ says Yixing patiently, hands on Junmyeon’s shoulders so that Junmyeon goes back down from her toes. ‘What if someone let us in?’

‘Yes,’ says Junmyeon immediately. ‘Who?’

‘Call up one of those boys,’ says Minseok, expression mischievous. ‘Those ones who couldn’t stop staring at you this morning.’ Just as Junmyeon is about to interrupt, Minseok continues. ‘Anyway - no one has the key to the gate, so we have to hop the wall anyway. C’mon, Yixing.’

Yixing, all practiced, elegant movement even while drunk, steps onto Minseok’s hand for the boost, and lifts herself onto the top of the wall without hesitation. Minseok crows and Junmyeon claps a little in awe.  Seated at the top, Yixing swings her legs back and forth, smiling big and pretty even in the middle of the night.

‘It’s Junmyeonnie’s turn now,’ says Minseok. Junmyeon rambles - ‘but if this got out one day, me, a future diplomat, breaking into a student’s hostel at two in the morning, don’t you guys understand, I need to be boring - vanilla - ’ - even while clumsily stepping onto Minseok’s hands and scrambling for a grip at the edge of the wall even while Yixing pulls her up.

‘You are,’ starts Yixing, face leaning in so close that Junmyeon has to stop breathing for a second, ‘the most ridiculous.’

‘What - ’ she snaps, affronted, but yelps in surprise as Minseok does an absurdly high jump and climbs onto the wall beside her.

‘Muscles,’ says Minseok, nudging her shoulder into Junmyeon’s arm with a smug grin. ‘Now, hop down.’

Pouting, Junmyeon follows Yixing’s lead and lands on the ground with a soft thud, staring up at the darkened house a few metres in front of them, amazed that no one has heard them.

‘Okay, call them, call them,’ insists Minseok, pulling Junmyeon’s phone from the pocket of her dress.

‘I don’t even like them,’ says Junmyeon, even as she opens her kakao and looks for their names.

She chooses Kyungsoo because he seemed the most lowkey, and they all hover around her phone in anticipation as the voice call goes through.

‘Who the fu - ’ starts Kyungsoo, voice gravelly and rough.

‘Please, please let us in,’ goes off Junmyeon, a torrent of words. ‘Oh god, please, I can’t have a record, can you just get out here and open the door - ’

‘ _Please_ , Kyungsoo-sshi,’ adds in Minseok for good measure.

The line is silent for a second and then Kyungsoo starts muttering curses before finally relenting. ‘I’m coming, the fuck.’

The front door swings open a minute later, Kyungsoo in oversized pajamas standing there like a pissed-off gnome. They all thank him, and then Junmyeon pauses before kissing his cheek too.

Yixing coos and Minseok ushers her away, and Junmyeon purses her mouth, thinking kissing her friends would have been better. Kyungsoo at least seems to like it - the frown on his mouth softening up as he closes and locks the door again, helping her up the stairs to their room.

-

‘Sorry - Jongdae-ah - we’re - too - hungover - so - we’ll - be - there - tomorrow,’ Junmyeon recites in her text message.

It’s almost noon and Yixing mewls pitifully.

Junmyeon agrees, putting down her phone and burying her face into her pillow.

-

The next day, the boys are - thankfully - gone, and this time Minseok takes charge of their schedule with all her morning-person enthusiasm that neither Yixing nor Junmyeon have.

Junmyeon gets to be in the passenger’s seat again as Minseok drives. Yixing is curled up on the backseat, still drowsy from the morning. They’re all in the search for more coffee, but the  highway stretches long and endless instead.

‘We should’ve smoked after drinking that much,’ says Minseok. ‘To avoid the hangover.’

Yixing hums in agreement, gesturing towards the back. ‘I have some more weed in the trunk.’

‘We need to get to Shanghai first,’ says Junmyeon. ‘Jongdae’s waiting.’ She adjusts her shorts over her thighs, trying to not feel like a buzzkill. ‘Afterwards though?’

The suggestion seems to brighten Yixing considerable. She pushes up from the seat and sticks her head out between driver and passenger, smiling at Junmyeon. ‘Really? You think Zhongda will join?’

Minseok shrugs. ‘If he feels like it.’

‘He’s so different when he’s high,’ says Yixing. ‘I wanna see it again.’

Junmyeon is lost, has only ever gotten Jongdae drunk a couple times while she was with him, and even then he had just been a more greasy version of himself. ‘How different?’

‘Like… sweet? Soft?’ Yixing tries out both her Mandarin and Korean, trying to capture the word on her tongue. ‘Indulgent.’

‘What are you even saying?’ Minseok laughs out, one hand coming off the gear shift to tug at a lock of Yixing’s hair teasingly.

Yixing makes a frustrated noise. ‘He’s too much in bed - it’s better if he’s high, and then it’s like… slower, better sex.’

Junmyeon’s brain stops for a moment, then crashes loudly into itself, ridding Junmyeon of any speaking skills, so she can just flail in surprise as she stares at Yixing.

Minseok covers for her - ‘have you slept with every guy we’re friends with?’ It’s not mocking - Minseok’s grin is too wide and teasing, her tone incredulous.

Yixing tips her head onto Junmyeon’s shoulder. ‘It wasn’t when you were dating or anything.’

‘That’s - right - okay,’ manages Junmyeon, tucking her fingers under her thighs. ‘Just - I mean - you’re not _wrong_ \- ’ She swallows, tries to get over the surprise. ‘He is - too much. A lot.’

‘Oh _finally_ she’s talking.’ Minseok leans over a little, voice conspiratorial. ‘What’s his dick like?’

‘Jiejie!’ Yixing collapses onto the backseat with laughter.

‘We’re going to be seeing him in less than six hours,’ says Junmyeon.

‘I mean you can tell us about Yifan’s dick instead,’ suggests Minseok, her face completely serious.

Junmyeon makes a garbled noise and throws her hands in the air. ‘Jongdae’s thick. Like. Stretches you out kind of thick.

‘ _Nice_.’

‘And Yifan is long!’ Yixing chimes in.

‘Xing-ah - !’ starts Junmyeon, face in hands.

‘Okay, okay, dajie’s turn.’

Minseok snorts, eyes on the road. ‘Luhan’s average.’

‘What - that’s it?’ Yixing is petulant. ‘I wanted details.’

Shrugging, Minseok says, ‘it’s been an entire year since I’ve seen him. The details - shit, even what dumb blonde he dyed his hair - are getting fuzzy.’

Even if Minseok plays casual, Yixing goes quiet, and Junmyeon watches Minseok out of the corner of her eye, following the slope of her lips, the half-lidded eyes as she gets lost in thought. Junmyeon reaches over and slides her fingers down Minseok’s arm, smiling softly up at her, and Minseok jerks in surprise, laughs sweet and beautiful.

‘It’s not a big deal,’ she says, with an utter certainty that Junmyeon has never felt. ‘We’ll see each other again.’

‘How?’ Junmyeon asks quietly. ‘How do you know?’

‘Didn’t you know - about you and Yifan?’

Junmyeon did - wholeheartedly trusted her future between the both of them, thought she’d see it to the end, all of it, marriage and politics and being blissfully satisfied with both. But that’s not a possibility - at least… At least, it isn’t for now, not at this moment, not _now_ where Junmyeon is drifting on a highway between Minseok and Yixing, looking for something she can only glimpse on ocassion.

‘I’ll see him in the future - somehow, some way.’ Minseok is smiling softly  to herself, looking so gorgeous as the sunlight slides over the planes of her face, highlighting the corner curve of her mouth, the slow blink so that her lashes drip gold.

For that moment, there isn’t a worry about Yifan or the future or moving back to Seoul or whatever will happen when they get to Shanghai - just for that moment, Junmyeon only stares at Minseok and feels utterly, completely breathless.

-

The sky is dark and the night cooler even with the humidity. Yixing gets lost twice even while Junmyeon reads off directions from her phone that she got through the brief wifi connection while passing a coffee shop. Finally, they reach Jongdae’s apartment building, unsurprised at the crowded streets parked with cars.

Dragging the luggage down a block isn’t bad when thankfully the building has an elevator. Jongdae’s apartment is on the fourteenth floor and it’s only a little past ten thirty anyway - so they don’t wake anyone up with all the bickering and ruckus they cause.

Minseok gets to the door first with her duffel bag full of stuff slung over her shoulder and knocks quick and brisk. Jongdae opens it a few seconds later, surprised. ‘You didn’t text or else I would’ve helped you guys carry all this stuff,’ he starts, and is almost tackled aside when Minseok pushes through into his apartment.

Yixing follows with a pleased noise and Junmyeon is last one in, kicking off her sandals to see the small studio apartment. Most of the floor space is taken by a blow-up twin-sized mattress with the low table pushed to the side, near Jongdae’s own cot.

‘Oh finally,’ groans Minseok, dropping her bag and collapsing onto the mattress with a thump, stretching out so her shorts ride up her thighs and her tank shows off a slice of tan, flat stomach. Junmyeon ducks her eyes and places her things down beside Minseok’s, turning around to thank Jongdae.

Despite being younger than all of them, he had graduated last year, moved out to Shanghai for the year for an internship at a music studio, and honestly, didn’t seem to have changed a bit since then. Still with that pretty boy face and dark hair, dressed plainly in pajama pants and a t-shirt, his mother’s ring still on his right hand as usual.

‘Noona,’ says Jongdae, voice still low and tinged with an undertone of awe that always struck Junmyeon in the gut. ‘I’m so glad you’re here.’

‘Jongdae-ah,’ she says, then stops, and hugs him, arms tight around his shoulders and face tucked into his throat, feeling ridiculously warm and comforted when Jongdae hugs her back, his ever-present laughter vibrating against her hair as he keeps her close.

‘Gross,’ coos Minseok from the air mattress, propped up on her elbows to watch them. ‘Should we leave you guys alone?’

‘For the entire night maybe,’ chimes in Yixing, sitting down primly next to Minseok.

Junmyeon pulls away and turns on them, quirking her mouth in a smirk. ‘Jealous?’

Yixing places a hand on her chest, mock-gasps. ‘Junmian, how can we compete with Jongdae for you?’

Minseok rolls onto her stomach, turning her back on them. It gives Junmyeon a fantastic view of her ass, so she focuses on Yixing’s hair instead, how it falls like a river of wet earth over Yixing’s arm, pooling onto the air mattress.

‘Only yours,’ says Junmyeon, wavering between that defensive urge to laugh it off but a genuine need for them to know, to _understand_.

Yixing smiles up at her, opens up her arms. ‘Our hug time!’

‘You’ve been in a car with her for how long?’ Jongdae asks as he strides towards his kitchen. ‘How can you all be so nice to each other still?’

Junmyeon crashes into Yixing, tipping her onto her back and finding herself sandwiched between Minseok’s frame and Yixing’s lanky limbs. Minseok yelps and Yixing is giggling, while Jongdae complains about them in the background. Junmyeon might be in love.

-

Jongdae leaves for his job early in the morning, leaving his coffee pot on while him and Minseok murmur in the kitchen before she waves him goodbye. Junmyeon is still half-asleep, curled up with Yixing pressed against her back, a tall lean big spoon.

She presses back into the loose hug of Yixing’s arms and closes her eyes, falling back asleep to the noises of Minseok walking around.

A couple hours later, Junmyeon is awake again - the shower is running and Minseok is splayed out on Jongdae’s cot, typing on her phone. ‘Morning, Myeon-ah,’ she says. ‘Want Jongdae’s wifi password?’

‘Yes,’ she croaks out, tossing Minseok her phone as she stumbles into the kitchen where coffee awaits.

Yixing’s hair is dripping all over the apartment once she’s out of the shower. Junmyeon ducks into the bathroom herself, and they’re all ready to leave by noon, looking for food without emptying out Jongdae’s entire fridge in a single meal.

‘Beach, beach, beach,’ chants Yixing as they walk towards the car still blocked so far down the street from the building.

‘If we’re gonna smoke, can we at least do it at night?’ Junmyeon says, still mildly appalled that they had broken and entered into their hostel the other night. ‘Please think of my future.’

‘Yes, yes, future Prime Minister Junmyeon-sshi,’ replies Minseok, taking her arm. ‘Does that mean you can appoint me as a Cabinet Minister?’

Junmyeon snorts, leaning into her anyway. ‘If you can name at least five prime ministers, I’ll consider it.’

‘I’ll give you free coffee.’

‘That’s a good deal,’ says Yixing. ‘Only Minshuo-jie knew how to work the dorm coffee machine when we were in first year.’

‘Fine, fine.’

Minseok cheers for herself, leaning over to kiss Junmyeon’s cheek, and Junmyeon shrieks in surprise when she feels Minseok lick it instead. ‘ _Minseok_ \- that’s - _gross_ \- !’

‘Don’t get too comfortable,’ warns Minseok, and doesn’t let Junmyeon pull away, still holding onto Junmyeon’s arm.

Junmyeon stares and then crowds up against her, feeling how _solid_ Minseok is even as Junmyeon tries to go for her height advantage, and kisses her nose. ‘Got you back,’ she says, and feels her throat tighten in panic when neither Minseok nor Yixing react immediately.

‘Junmian,’ says Yixing slowly, ‘that’s pretty gay.’

Minseok chokes on her own laugh, and Junmyeon shoots Yixing an incredulous look. ‘You _are_ gay - !’

Yixing is gleeful, crashing against Junmyeon in a hug, her giggles echoing out as she squeezes Junmyeon’s waist between her arms. ‘Our Junmian is _so_ cute!’

‘Very, very,’ agrees Minseok, slapping Junmyeon’s ass lightly so that Junmyeon squacks in indignation at being treated like she was the youngest.

‘Let’s get food already!’ Junmyeon yells over them both, but collapses into laughter as Yixing walks backwards, refusing to break the hug. ‘You’re both ridiculous!’

‘But she still loves us,’ Minseok says, with Yixing nodding enthusiastically, hair getting all up in Junmyeon’s face so Junmyeon can only sputter in reply.

Yes, she wants to reply once the moment passes and they’re discussing foods. Yes, I love you both. Not as if Junmyeon hadn’t before this moment - but it feels more serious now, more permanent and weighty in a way that she’s felt with the people she’s dated. And maybe this was just one big long date - with Minseok and Yixing and her enjoying each other’s company and talking about feelings and boys and food and the future, flip-flopping between seriousness and ridiculousness so that Junmyeon is always comfortable, always knows she can be here, _here_.

For now, Junmyeon tangles her fingers between Yixing and Minseok’s and talks about anything and everything, and thinks she’ll tell them, soon, for real: _thank you, I love you_.

-

Shanghai is different from Guangzhou in smells and sights, but  the familiar skyline of skyscrapers contrasting the food carts down below and the rush and clatter of people and cars and bikes feels terribly like home. They get lost amidst the locals - ‘the _proper_ way to see a city,’ declares Yixing - and end up walking around city blocks with sticky fingers from the street desserts that Junmyeon finds herself pointing out. Minseok gets lost in her picture-taking - claiming that they need to go here and there for the perfect angle and lighting.

By evening, Jongdae texts them to meet him at a restaurant for dinner once he’s done. They wander around for directions and finally find the bus. Junmyeon smells the lavender of Yixing’s hair as they stand beside each other, thinks how elegant Yixing looks even when she’s spacing out, eyes watching nothing as she thinks all the thoughts she does, voicing them out so carefully that Junmyeon just _has_ to take her seriously even when the content is utterly absurd.

The restaurant is a dumpling place. Junmyeon thought she’d get sick of seafood from living by the coast for all of university, but crossing provinces on the road to fresh shrimp and crab and fish done in a dozen different ways has only made Junmyeon want more.

Jongdae is dressed up in black slacks and blue button-up, sleeves rolled up as he pours out the baijiu in the four shot glasses. Junmyeon ends up across from him, Minseok beside her. Yixing folds herself next to Jongdae, and Minseok laughs at how Yixing seems to dwarf Jongdae even while sitting.

‘I’m average,’ he complains, sliding the shot glasses across the table to everyone.

‘That’s not what Junmian said,’ sing-songs Yixing, and Jongdae clicks his tongue, glaring at Junmyeon.

‘They forced it out of me,’ says Junmyeon primly and takes her shot while Jongdae whines again.

‘Dudes probably talk about tits all the time,’ points out Minseok, scanning over the menu.

‘How could they not?’ Yixing asks, tipping her head towards Junmyeon.

‘You’re not even drunk yet,’ sighs Junmyeon, placing a hand above her blouse’s neckline for some semblance of modesty.

‘Xing-jie’s just appreciating art,’ says Jongdae with a shameless grin.

Junmyeon takes her menu and smacks him on the head - keeping it light anyway - and rolls her eyes when he starts whining again.

Dinner is pleasant, has Junmyeon realizing she’s missed Jongdae but finds that this is enough for her. Even if they were something more a few years ago, Jongdae has always been just a little bit overwhelming, and the platonic distance is perfect when Junmyeon feels so warm and loved between Minseok and Yixing now.

This time, they all drink their baijiu carefully, and Jongdae laughs at them when Yixing recounts what happened back in Xiamen. Junmyeon is buzzed and full, leaning sleepily into Minseok, pleased when Minseok wraps an arm around her waist to keep her close and steady.

Still, she can feel the way Jongdae’s eyes track her each movement - has been able to do so ever since they first met.

On the walk back home, Jongdae stays by her side as Yixing and Minseok trail behind, debating with each other about how what kind of sauce the restaurant had given them. Junmyeon can just imagine them in the kitchen already, arguing on ingredients, messing up, laughing - the easy comfort of their banter so perfect for domesticism.

‘So?’ Jongdae’s voice breaks through her thoughts, has her turning to look at him, struck by how handsome she finds him, even now.

‘No,’ she replies, shaking her head. ‘Not yet.’

He nods, smiles to himself. ‘You should soon - Qingdao is your last stop.’

‘Isn’t it too soon?’ Junmyeon reaches over, and Jongdae holds her hand immediately, squeezing once so she can feel his ring. ‘It was only a week ago when Yifan…’

‘You’re not asking for forever.’ He swings their arms together, makes Junmyeon feel a lot younger than she is. ‘Just a little bit of - y’know. Feeling good. Loved.’

Junmyeon looks up at the faint outline of buildings stretching up into the sky, almost touching the stars. ‘That’s true.’

‘You deserve that,’ he says, looking at her with eyes that see too much, has Junmyeon feeling helplessly exposed. ‘You deserve to have people to go home to.’

Her eyes burn, just for a moment, but she doesn’t cry; she scoffs, bumping her shoulder against his, listening to the easy, familiar sound of his laugh, and feels at ease. ‘You know you’re one of those people,’ she tells him.

‘Obviously,’ he says, haughty with his chin raised. ‘But I might be able to share with Xing-jie and Minseok-noona.’

‘How generous,’ says Junmyeon dryly but squeezes his hand, and beams when Jongdae shoots her a wide grin.

-

Yixing is restless once they’re back in Jongdae’s apartment for the night, so Jongdae hands Minseok an extra housekey and Junmyeon finds herself digging through the trunk of the car in the middle of the night looking for Yixing’s bag of illicit drugs.

They walk for an hour in the general direction of the coastline until they find a beach, and Yixing happily kicks off her sandals, digging her toes into the sand. The air is still warm, and Junmyeon can smell the salt ocean on the breeze that tickles her cheeks.

Minseok is already walking into the tide, sinking into the wet sand, her figure silhouetted by the faint city lights reflected off the water. Junmyeon stares helplessly.

‘Come here,’ croons Yixing, splayed onto her back, waving her handrolled joint in the air. Her skirt has ridden up, so that only shadows slide over the inside of her thighs right before Junmyeon can glimpse what kind of panties she’s wearing. She supposes she should be thankful, but finds her stomach tight with a sort of anticipation that’s built up over the hours.

Minseok is kneeling beside Yixing’s hip, taking the joint and the lighter, taking the first hit. The smoke curls up from around her lips, glides up around her pretty cheekbones. Kneeling across from her, Junmyeon takes the joint next, breathes deep.

The high only seems to come by the second hit - Yixing is sitting up, legs splayed apart, and Minseok is next to Junmyeon now. The sound of waves washing up on the beach sounds even louder, drowning out Junmyeon’s heartbeat. She feels languid and warm, passing the joint to Yixing before brushing her fingers over Minseok’s cheek, able to meet Minseok’s gaze when she flicks her eyes up.

‘Hey,’ says Junmyeon softly, then retreats her hand, folding her fingers in her lap.

‘We’re high,’ says Minseok, ever practical, ‘but it’s okay.’

‘Okay,’ and Junmyeon leans forward, meets Minseok’s mouth in a featherlight kiss, waiting until Minseok presses back.

She does, sweet and patient. Dry and close-mouthed, cupping Junmyeon’s cheek. Minseok pulls away, kisses Junmyeon’s cheek now, smiling against her skin. The high has Junmyeon feel like she’s expanding, stretching out from under her skin, for Minseok to spread out like a constellation against the sand.

Then Yixing is there, curling an arm around Junmyeon’s waist from behind, mouth bumping against the shell of Junmyeon’s ear.  ‘Hi,’ she murmurs, her voice vibrating through every nerve, setting Junmyeon alight, so she’s each glowing star in the night sky, down against the sand.

Junmyeon wants to say something, but finds herself laughing instead - feeling the lovely tickle of Yixing’s hair sweeping across her neck, how Minseok’s hands cup her waist and slide upwards over her ribs, how all her clothes feel that much softer against her skin as she shifts between them, the sand rolling over the planes of her legs when she settles.

‘I think,’ says Minseok when she’s done taking her hit, ‘that our Junmyeon-ah is a little too high for this.’

‘No,’ says Junmyeon, even as she unravels. ‘Another kiss.’

Yixing’s giggle follows the threads of Junmyeon, even as Yixing somehow manages to plant sweet kisses over Junmyeon’s ear, her cheek, her jawline. Minseok takes another inhale before placing her mouth over Junmyeon’s, exhaling the smoke right down into Junmyeon’s lungs.

‘Junmian,’ says Yixing. ‘Our Junmian.’

‘All for us,’ says Minseok, placing the joint between Junmyeon’s lips.

‘Yes,’ says Junmyeon, taking the hit, getting lost in the high and how softly, sweetly she spools apart, held between both of their hands. ‘Yes, yes, yes.’

-

The next thing Junmyeon remembers is waking up with the sun glaring through the window as Yixing grumbles and cuddles closer.

Jongdae’s cologne lingers in the air, meaning he’s gone for work already, and Minseok is propped up in the cot with some book she must have stolen from Jongdae’s shelf. Everything is altogether too bright and too incongruous to Junmyeon’s memories that instead of closing her eyes, she decides - against all of her instincts - to actually get up.

‘Isn’t it a bit too early for you?’ Minseok remarks when Junmyeon untangles herself from all of Yixing’s limbs.

‘No,’ grumbles Junmyeon then decides to stop talking before she proves Minseok right.

As the coffee steeps, last night comes in hazy snapshots - Junmyeon being so sleepy and warm against the sand, how she needed Yixing and Minseok both to get her in the taxi to get back to the building, and Jongdae’s voice - deep and rough from sleep - as he sweetly scolded her before putting them all to bed on the mattress.

She doesn’t know what she expected - that what took all her courage last night had ended up being seen as a few kisses exchanged between friends, nothing more. There has to be a way to broach the subject, but her tongue is still stuck to the roof of her mouth with grogginess as she tries to find a clean mug on the rack of drying dishes.

Eventually, Junmyeon curls up next to Minseok on the cot, mug clutched between two hands, with Minseok abandoning the book in favour of using Jongdae’s wifi on her phone.

‘So,’ says Minseok, glancing over at Junmyeon.

Junmyeon hums in reply, takes a swallow of her coffee first. ‘Sorry for making you both carry me at one point.’

Laughing, she shakes her head. ‘You wanted us to sleep on the beach but the moment we mentioned your future, you started getting up yourself.’

The details still escape but Junmyeon agrees with a shrug. ‘If I’m going to have an international criminal record, it better not be something unimpressive like public indecency.’

‘Right.’ Minseok is smiling at her - her expression soft with affection - and Junmyeon leans into her for just a second, testing the waters.

Junmyeon almost melts from relief when Minseok closes the distance and kisses her - soft and close-mouthed again. Pulling away seems unfair when Junmyeon thinks they have the entire morning still to practice meeting each other halfway.

‘We’re not going anywhere,’ says Minseok.

‘Thank you,’ says Junmyeon, then: ‘you’re beautiful.’

‘Junmyeon!’ She’s startled, leaning back with an embarrassed flush on her cheeks. ‘You’re as bad as Luhan.’

Junmyeon screws up her face. ‘Don’t say that - even I think he’s embarrassing about you.’

‘Zhongda, then.’

‘Better, but not by much.’

They’re both smiling now, and the banter is comfortable, steady, as Junmyeon drinks her coffee and takes in how the morning sunlight makes Minseok’s eyes golden brown and her mouth that much more pink and lovely.

Finally, Yixing wakes up, her stomach growling louder than her muffled ‘g’mornin’ as she stumbles into the bathroom.

Junmyeon takes a long shower, washing out the beach and weed from her hair, and ducks past Yixing when she comes in right after. Clad in a towel with hair dripping all over her shoulders and stuck to her cheeks, Junmyeon doesn’t look particularly flattering, but Minseok coos all over her anyway - having been dressed and ready before the other two had even woken up.

‘Make sure to wear something cute,’ says Minseok as Junmyeon digs through her bag to find a clean pair of panties. She pulls out something blue with rabbit print, and Minseok snatches it from her. ‘This is adorable.’

‘Minseokie,’ whines Junmyeon, before the panties hit her in the face and she catches it when it falls. ‘Thanks.’

The studio apartment doesn’t give much privacy, so Junmyeon turns her back to Minseok and drops the towel, pulls on the underwear quickly, and then a pair of shorts, bra, and a pretty floral print blouse.

‘Thanks for the great view,’ drawls Minseok, giving a thumbs up, then going back to her phone as Junmyeon makes a scandalized expression at her.

Fifteen minutes later, Yixing is out too, throwing on one of her dozen sundresses and getting drips of water everywhere from her hair spilling over her shoulders and down her back in wet stripes. Minseok clicks her tongue and grabs the comb from Yixing’s bag, telling her to sit on the floor beside the cot so Minseok could make her look less like a drowned horse.

Yixing purses her mouth at the insult, then makes grabby hand gestures at Junmyeon. Junmyeon crawls over, ‘what is it?’, before Yixing is cupping her cheeks and kissing her warm and wet, with an immediacy that goes straight into Junmyeon’s belly when she least expected it.

‘Wait - ’ gasps Junmyeon, pulling away, pushing back her own drying hair from her face, and Yixing only gives her a second before her mouth is at Junmyeon’s bottom lip, tugging until Junmyeon makes a noise.

‘Stop moving,’ scolds Minseok, tugging sharply at Yixing’s hair so that Yixing yelps, pouts.

‘Come here, come here,’ says Yixing, hands on the hem of Junmyeon’s shirt, tugging her closer. Junmyeon ends up straddling Yixing’s thighs, surprised at how efficiently Yixing seemed to be at getting others riled up.

Of course it must be all that experience, thinks Junmyeon vaguely, finding it hard to concentrate when Yixing is kissing her again, happily opening her mouth under Junmyeon should Junmyeon want to respond. And Junmyeon _does_ \- dipping her tongue in to find Jongdae’s peppermint toothpaste and a lingering sweetness of coffee creamer.

Yixing’s fingers are still skimming along Junmyeon’s belly - soft and ticklish - but don’t seem to want to explore. Instead, all of Yixing is concentrated along the way Junmyeon’s tongue slides along her own, the curve of Junmyeon’s teeth, how she gasps when Yixing nips at her top lip.

It’s almost embarrassing that Junmyeon is getting warm, her belly tight with want as the kiss remains so wet but nothing more than that. Yixing is pleased just to have a squirming Junmyeon in her lap, giggling when she feels Junmyeon’s hips move involuntarily, looking for something to grind against.

Junmyeon moans when Yixing sucks hard on her tongue, then has to pull away when she feels a telltale wetness on her panties _already_. Yixing is grinning all wide, her mouth flushed and wet, while Minseok still patiently works on untangling all of the knots in her hair.

‘Pretty,’ says Yixing simply while Junmyeon works to wet her dry throat, find her voice again.

‘That was,’ starts Junmyeon, her thighs flexing as she resists the urge to shift in Yixing’s lap, start rutting against Yixing’s thigh. ‘Fuck.’

‘If you want to,’ replies Yixing, tipping her head back as Minseok reaches the long longs in front of Yixing’s face. Junmyeon breathes and focuses on the repetitive motion of the comb moving through the wet, brown strands - a long sweep from root to tip, over and over again, until it becomes a smooth veil to fall all around Yixing’s shoulders, neck, back.

‘After I’m done here first,’ says Minseok. ‘You’re not leaving me out.’

‘Of course not,’ says Yixing. ‘Dajie can even go first.’

Junmyeon has the brief idea of asking ‘going first how?’ but scratches it when she realizes she’ll only become more of a turned-on mess if any of them answer. Maybe a better question is ‘do you think Jongdae would mind having his apartment smell of sex’, but he had wanted Junmyeon to make a move in the first place. He was basically begging for this to happen to him.

After a few seconds, Minseok tosses the comb onto Jongdae’s cot and comes to kneel behind Junmyeon, fingers catching along the neckline of her blouse and pushing it off her shoulder. ‘You good?’

Nodding, Junmyeon leans back a little, trying to see Minseok, and can’t help but make a happy noise when Minseok kisses her cheek, then her mouth. Meanwhile, Yixing’s hands are already in motion - tugging at the hem of the shirt until Junmyeon breaks the kiss so Yixing can strip her out of it.

‘Oh,’ says Yixing, and Junmyeon opens her mouth to ask what but shrieks instead when Yixing buries her face between Junmyeon’s breasts. ‘They’re so _nice_.’

Minseok is laughing too - looping her arms around Junmyeon’s stomach and propping her chin up on the other’s shoulder, watching as Yixing nuzzles along the bare curve of skin before being cut off by the bra.

‘How nice?’ Junmyeon challenges, pushing through her nervousness. She wants to play too - tease and banter and be as comfortable with them as they are with her. In reply, Yixing hums, pulls away to lie flat on the mattress, the skirt of her sundress riding up her thighs. Minseok lets go of Junmyeon to crawl over Yixing, pushing the skirt all the way up so Junmyeon can see Yixing’s panties - a cute green with white daisies over them - and the sharp dip of her hips under the waistband.

‘Me first?’ Yixing sounds pleased, bringing her knees up and spreading open her thighs. Minseok has to lie down on Yixing’s side in order to avoid being knocked over by Yixing’s endless legs, her hand on Yixing’s stomach, sweeping to the side to hook her thumb under the elastic of the panties.

‘Wait,’ says Junmyeon. Minseok pulls away and Yixing hums, both watching as Junmyeon lies down on Yixing’s other side and meets her mouth in a shy kiss. If Yixing was to go first, then Junmyeon didn’t want to miss a second - refusing to play voyeur because she has too much to give.

Yixing’s mouth is so warm and wet, her hair smelling of Jongdae’s shampoo as it slips onto Junmyeon’s cheek, neck, tickling her so she huffs into the kiss. Yixing is folding her lanky limbs around Junmyeon already - arm thrown across Junmyeon’s waits and other hand cupping the side of her breast, thumb a warm imprint right above the lace fringe.

The heat simmering in Junmyeon’s belly lights up quickly - has her thighs flexing when she feels the hand on her breast tightening for a second. Junmyeon breaks the kiss, ‘wanna - ?’ and Yixing nods, eyes bright and lips so wet.

It doesn’t take more than a moment for Yixing to undo the clasp of Junmyeon’s bra and they’re both squirming to get it off her arms, tossing it aside to Minseok’s laugh. Junmyeon can’t see where Minseok’s gone but finds it hard to concentrate when Yixing’s teeth are worrying at her neck, both of her hands cupping Junmyeon’s breasts, thumbing at the nipples.

‘Fuck,’ she groans, almost embarrassed at how easily she’s wet - but Yixing doesn’t let up. Her mouth trails past collarbone until she’s lapping at one nipple until it pebbles. ‘ _Xing_ -ah.’

Minseok speaks now, voice from above: ‘Our Junmyeonnie has sensitive tits, Yixing.’

‘Y- _eah_ ,’ manages Junmyeon, blinking up to see Minseok kneeling behind Yixing, watching them both, her one hand stroking Yixing’s hip bone in slow circles. Yixing doesn’t seem to mind ignoring Minseok from the action for now, not when her mouth is onto the second nipple, teeth coming out to nip at the skin around the areola.

The wet warmth is enough for Junmyeon’s thighs to be pressed together tight, her speech reduced to garbled syllables as she tries to think through the pleasure of Yixing’s mouth, her hands too when they keep massaging her breasts slowly.

Then Yixing bites down gently, then _pulls_ \- her teeth scraping so _sweet_ and _good_ and Junmyeon lets out a loud keen, her hands scrabbling for a grip on Yixing’s waist. Yixing pulls away with a grin, looking up at Minseok, ‘we should make her come like this.’

‘Oh _god_ ,’ manages Junmyeon, her stomach twisting up in anticipation at the image.

‘Lay her down,’ says Minseok.

Yixing unfurls herself from Junmyeon, pulling away so that Junmyeon is spread out on the mattress, her nipples embarrassingly wet and pink and hard as she tries to breathe. Of course she doesn’t get a chance, because it’s apparently Minseok’s turn. At least Minseok begins with a tease - settling herself over Junmyeon’s hips, her fingertips dragging softly up Junmyeon’s soft belly to the curve of her breasts.

‘Damn,’ Minseok exhales, pressing Junmyeon’s tits together so she can roll Junmyeon’s nipples between her fingers. Junmyeon squirms, bucks her hips up against Minseok’s waist, knowing it’ll do nothing, except have Yixing giggling at the side.

Leaning over now, Minseok licks in long drags of her tongue, from the underside all the way up past the areola. Underneath, Junmyeon groans, shakes, swears when Minseok comes back down to sloppily try and suck on both nipples at once - ‘fuck, fuck, _fuck_.’

‘That’s the idea, Junmian,’ says Yixing, voice soft as if to be soothing. Junmyeon thinks it might work in any other situation - but right now all her nerve-endings are firing straight into her cunt, has her _leaking_ into her panties with how good it feels to have them play with her tits like this.

‘Should we take one boob each?’ Minseok asks.

Yixing agrees immediately and leans over to take the breast closest to her. Junmyeon moans - feeling Minseok’s weight shift back, drag her shorts over Junmyeon’s thigh so Junmyeon can feel the heat of the other’s cunt even through the denim.

With the two of them working her over, Junmyeon doesn’t stand a chance. Minseok’s mouth is sloppy-wet, and her hand is littered with the callouses from lifting weights so that the roughness against Junmyeon’s skin has her gasping. Meanwhile, Yixing seems pleased with leaving little bites around Junmyeon’s nipple, her tongue a teasing, flickering flash of wetness while her fingers curve and push at Junmyeon’s breast.

Junmyeon’s never come from just titplay - though she’s had partners try their very best. She would’ve probably thought that was simply the case until she died, but here she was - caught between two very determined friends who had agreed on a goal and they were going to push her until they got there.

And _fuck_ was it working - the lack of rhythm was replaced by sheer wet enthusiasm and that was enough for Junmyeon, who was pitifully squirming under Minseok’s weight, her breath coming out in gasps as her thighs kept clenching.

It just felt _so good_ \- the little sparks every time her nipple was flicked, sucked, and how their fingers were massaging her tits with purpose. All of it kept adding up and adding up until Junmyeon couldn’t even _think_ anymore - her body twitching with pleasure, her cunt clenching around air, trying to milk something because she was so close now, fuck -

‘I’m gonna come, oh god - shit - I’m - ’ stutters Junmyeon, eyes flying open in surprise at how the build-up feels almost painful in her gut now, the pulses of pleasure so intense along her cunt.

‘Mmm,’ hums Yixing around her nipple, tugging at it with her teeth. ‘Junmiaaaan.’

‘Yeah,’ says Minseok, her warm breath ghosting over Junmyeon’s skin, leaving behind a prickle of goosebumps. ‘Do it, c’mon.’

Junmyeon tries to buck up against Minseok, only manages to grind her thigh right up into Minseok’s cunt, and she makes a helpless noise when Minseok lets out a moan right into Junmyeon’s ear. Yixing isn’t to be left behind - her one hand occupied with rolling Junmyeon’s tit so she can nip at it, other hand skirting downwards to cup Junmyeon’s cunt from over her shorts, pressing the seam onto Junmyeon’s clit.

‘ _Oh_ \- oh god, Xing, I’m coming,’ says Junmyeon in a rushed breath as she tries to ride on the pressure of Yixing’s hand and feels her cunt clench and pulse, coming so her entire frame shakes as the pleasure washes over her in waves.

‘So pretty,’ she hears Minseok say, Yixing humming in agreement as they finally give her tits a break, moving their hands so they can pluck at the belt and button on Junmyeon’s shorts.

Junmyeon swallows, trying to wet her dry mouth, managing to crack open her eyes to see them both still unfairly clothed while spoiling Junmyeon in the attention. ‘Guys, please.’

Yixing grins, jerks the shorts _and_ panties down in one motion so that Junmyeon unbalances and flops back on the mattress. ‘Not yet.’

‘ _When_?’ It’s a whine, but Junmyeon’s not above begging to get at least one of them naked.

Minseok smacks Junmyeon’s thigh lightly. ‘Later, later - it’s your turn right now.’ With that, Yixing is spreading open Junmyeon’s legs, lifting her up as Minseok stuffs a pillow under Junmyeon’s ass. ‘Comfy?’

‘Yeah.’ Junmyeon can feel her come dry all sticky on the inside of her thighs, hopes she doesn’t wipe it on Jongdae’s pillow, but it’d be a lost cause considering the other two were gunning for another orgasm from her.

It’s Yixing that settles at the apex of Junmyeon’s thighs. ‘I’m better than dajie,’ she says, as if that explains anything, before she licks a stripe up Junmyeon’s cunt.

‘Yi- _xing_ ,’ starts Junmyeon, arms flailing before clutching at Yixing’s shoulders, holding on as Yixing slides her tongue between the folds of Junmyeon’s labia, laps at the slick there. Minseok is kneeling beside them both, eyes dark and watchful, has Junmyeon hiccuping for her attention.

Minseok reaches out, fists her fingers in Yixing’s long hair, and pulls Yixing’s head back. The sight has Junmyeon moaning - Yixing’s eyes half-hooded, her mouth soaked with slick and panting open, tongue peeking out pink on the curve of her bottom lip.

A second later and Minseok is licking the taste of Junmyeon off Yixing’s chin, up to her mouth, and Junmyeon’s brain whites out at how fucking _hot_ they are. Minseok’s tongue flicking up at the corners of Yixing’s lips, Yixing exhaling and opening up even wider so that Minseok can sweep in, taste the both of them. Still flat on her back, Junmyeon _whines_ , her body heating up too fast, cunt clenching desperately over nothing.

‘Taste good,’ murmurs Minseok, pulling away, and Junmyeon throws out a hand, captures the hem of Minseok’s tank, pulling. ‘Want a taste too?’

‘Fuck.’ Breathless, Junmyeon tries to prop herself up, is so thankful to have Minseok’s mouth over hers as she tastes the familiar sharpness of her slick when their tongues slide against each other. So caught up that she almost falls back onto the mattress when Yixing’s mouth is back on her cunt.

Minseok catches her by the elbows, helps her sit-up a little, and Junmyeon is moaning, trying to roll her hips into Yixing’s tongue as it slides past her labia, nearing where she’s so open and wet. Frantically, Junmyeon tugs at Minseok’s tantop, until Minseok gets the idea and takes it off, her bra too.

She’s gorgeous even half-naked - all her body toned muscle from the gym and football, her tits small and her stomach flat, abs showing when the light catches her right. Her shoulders and biceps though - that’s where Junmyeon claws her fingers into, bringing Minseok back into the kiss so that she can try to muffle all her embarrassing sounds while Yixing eats her out.

Except Yixing takes the time to slide her tongue up into Junmyeon’s swollen entrance, trying to fuck her a little, and Junmyeon groans loud and slutty into Minseok’s mouth, turned on beyond belief. Minseok grins, teeth catching along Junmyeon’s bottom lip, before pulling away so she can take off her shorts.

‘Yes, yes,’ says Junmyeon, only half in control of her mouth, her body, as Minseok’s thick hard thighs come into view, leading up to a pretty pussy that’s shaved clean. ‘Fuck, I want - come here, _please_.’

‘What’s that?’ Minseok asks, arching her body under the sweeps of Junmyeon’s hands, palms covering her small breasts, all the way downwards until Junmyeon slides two fingers along the slit of Minseok’s labia, spreading her open to feel the wetness there.

Pulling her fingers away, Junmyeon pops them in her mouth, closing her eyes so she can focus, but it’s hard when Yixing has her thighs spread and tongue up her pussy, and now the bitterness of Minseok’s slick, contrasting with Junmyeon’s own taste.

‘Junmyeonnie,’ says Minseok softly, eyes hooded, and Junmyeon slides the fingers deliberately slow over her bottom lip, a string of saliva just for the other.

‘Sit on my face,’ says Junmyeon, her voice embarrassingly hoarse. Minseok groans before shuffling on her knees, hands cupping Junmyeon’s shoulders and laying her down carefully, bringing another pillow.

Yixing finally seems to come up for air, strands of her hair stuck to her sticky slick all over her mouth and chin. ‘Are you going to ride Junmian’s face?’

‘Yeah,’ reply Minseok and Junmyeon both; Minseok settles facing Yixing, her thighs encompassing Junmyeon’s head, hovering her cunt just above where Junmyeon’s tongue can reach like she’s teasing. Junmyeon drags her fingers over the top of Minseok’s thighs, tries to bring her down, and _finally_ , Minseok lowers so her pussy slides against Junmyeon’s lips - so soft and wet and _hot_.

‘Junmian already wants you to fuck yourself on her tongue,’ laughs Yixing, like she isn’t dripping filth from her mouth that has Junmyeon squirming and wanting friction on her cunt like before.

‘I wanna hear her come against my pussy,’ says Minseok, just as casual, but her words fall harder, less suggestion and more order. Yixing agrees with a pleased noise and Junmyeon feels _two_ of Yixing’s fingers slide right into her pussy without stopping.

At least Junmyeon can muffle her loud moan against Minseok’s cunt, lapping up at the slit for more of that bitterness, until she feels Minseok rock experimentally over Junmyeon’s mouth. Immediately, Junmyeon squeezes Minseok’s thighs, wanting her to keep going.

Thankfully, Minseok gets the message - she seems to stop holding back her weight now, settling like a warm blanket of skin and pussy over Junmyeon’s chin and mouth, nose pressed near her perineum. Junmyeon moans then almost _sobs_ when Yixing starts fucking her with fingers, mouth on her clit now.

Her second orgasm rushes through her without even a warning - has her crying out against Minseok’s pussy while Yixing fucks her through each shuddering pulse of pleasure, making sure she gets no rest as she soaks the pillow and Yixing’s hand with her come.

‘ _Fuck_ , that was so hot,’ says Minseok, sounding breathless, and then she’s squeezing her thighs, riding down on Junmyeon’s face while Junmyeon is still panting.

Yixing grinds her palm into Junmyeon’s clit, three fingers sliding inside now, stretching her out. Junmyeon can’t even _think_ \- too caught up in all the sensations coursing through her. She just sticks her tongue out, tries to lap up at Minseok’s pussy as best she can, feeling how Minseok’s thighs tremble when Junmyeon catches clit on her lips.

Minseok isn’t rough but she doesn’t give Junmyeon a break - and Junmyeon doesn’t mind, still wound up with each deep pump of Yixing’s fingers inside of her. She manages to slide her tongue inside of Minseok during one hard grind and Minseok’s thighs clench hard even when Minseok doesn’t seem to make much noise herself.

Like that, Junmyeon fucks her tongue inside of Minseok, knowing it’s not nearly as good as how fingers would feel, but Minseok is using her up anyway, wanting everything Junmyeon could give, and oh, how Junmyeon would give it her all.

Meanwhile Yixing has slowed her pace, trying to get her fingers deep, spread them for a tinge of a stretch that shoots right through Junmyeon so she can only moan while working Minseok’s pussy. Her third orgasm would be slow-coming this way - which was fine, it was all about Minseok now.

And Minseok doesn’t stop, doesn’t relent. Fucks herself over Junmyeon’s tongue over and over so her thighs are shivering almost constantly now. She’s never still, grinding her clit into Junmyeon’s chin for an added spark of pleasure. Her pace only gets faster and more hectic, trying to get Junmyeon’s tongue even deeper with each hard, frantic rock of her hips.

Junmyeon can only drink down all the slick, feeling the wetness slide down her chin and smear onto her cheeks. It’s so messy and so hot - especially now that she can tell Minseok is close. Minseok is going to come over Junmyeon’s face. Minseok with her tight ass and thick thighs and gorgeous face is riding Junmyeon’s tongue and she’s gonna - fuck - _fuck_ -

Yixing rolls her fingers in deep, and Junmyeon is coming _again_ \- taken by surprise when it washes over her, and she’s mewling so pathetically loud while Minseok is riding. That’s the last straw - Minseok keens out, ‘so fucking hot, Myeonnie,’ until she’s grinding her clit near-constantly into Junmyeon’s chin and soaking her with warm slick.

Minseok is shivering for an entire minute, small jerks when her clit brushes against Junmyeon’s mouth, before she finally lifts herself off, half-collapsing onto the mattress beside Junmyeon. Junmyeon is down for the count too - whining until Yixing had finally pulled her fingers out.

They both watch as Yixing sits cross-legged at the end of the bed, licking her fingers clean from Junmyeon’s come. Her dress has ridden up, shows a soaked patch on her panties, and Junmyeon’s drowsiness recedes for a second in alarm - ‘you didn’t get to come.’

‘It’s okay,’ says Yixing with a smile. ‘It’s hard to make me come - I take too long.’

‘There’s two of us now,’ says Minseok.

‘I’m alright,’ she insists, grabbing the corner of a blanket and crawling over in between Junmyeon and Minseok. ‘It was fun watching the both of you lose it.’

‘You weren’t joking when you said you’re good,’ says Junmyeon drily when Yixing settles, curling her long limbs around Junmyeon.

‘You’re welcome,’ says Yixing. She looks over her shoulder at Minseok. ‘Let’s clean up _after_ nap time.’

‘Lazy,’ teases Minseok, giving her a kiss.

‘Mmm,’ she hums, and Junmyeon huffs out a laugh as Yixing snuggles even closer.

Junmyeon falls asleep soon after - comfy and content.

-

They don’t manage to air out the scent of sex until much, much later, with Jongdae’s complaining to accompany them. Junmyeon catches him smiling at her just before the three of them leave to go to the beach again. His expression is soft and she knows he’s pleased that she’s happy. It fills her with a lightness, has her giggling and skipping through the sand with Yixing while Minseok laughs at them.

They spend another day in Shanghai walking around. At a temple, Yixing murmurs facts against Junmyeon’s hair, nuzzling into her so closely. When they eat something sweet with too much whipped cream, Minseok smears some syrup with a kiss on Junmyeon’s cheek, laughs into her ear. They walk much too close, fingers intertwined and bumping into each other, stealing hugs and kisses, cuddling and tickling each other too.

Junmyeon can’t stop grinning, helplessly charmed by them both, in awe that they’re both equally excited to have her as she is to have them. That night, Jongdae treats them to another dinner. At the end, he catches Junmyeon’s wrist while walking home, turns her towards him.

‘I’m glad,’ he tells her.

‘It could’ve been you,’ she tells him, honest. Had she not been so enraptured by Minseok and Yixing, it would be so, so easy to fall into Jongdae, have him spoil her with attention like he did years ago, and be loved for a while as Junmyeon sorted things out.

And all Jongdae does is shrug, smile. ‘But it wasn’t.’

‘Another life,’ Junmyeon can’t help but promise.

‘Till then,’ he agrees.

-

They drive out in the morning - headed to the last stop: Qingdao

-

The tire blows out four hours into the trip. They’re just pulling off the highway into Yanchen when the sound resounds through the car and Junmyeon looks up from lying down on the backseat while Minseok turns off the radio.

‘Ah,’ says Yixing and pulls over.

The car is too old to have a spare in it - ‘oh, my parents used that thing three years into owning this car,’ recounts Yixing cheerily - and Minseok’s cell is out of battery, so Junmyeon comes through by calling Jongdae who uses his wifi to give them a number for a tow service.

The heat isn’t bad, it’s the humidity that blankets them as they watch the cars race by. Junmyeon sits on the hood and rocks her heels while Minseok decides to nap in the backseat. Yixing keeps her company by sitting beside her, the gust from the cars making her hair whip around them.

‘Anxious to be here?’

Junmyeon looks at her, pauses, and realizes: ‘no, not really.’

Yixing laughs. ‘So all you needed was a few orgasms?’

‘Shut up,’ snorts Junmyeon, smacking her lightly in the arm. ‘I’m not anxious about being with you or Minseok anymore. I mean - I’m still thinking about how the car might explode on the highway, or that we’ll somehow be caught with your piles of drugs and I’ll have an international criminal record, or y’know - if I don’t pee soon, I’ll get a UTI.’

‘You want a bottle for the pee?’ Yixing asks.

‘ _Yixing_ ,’ she says flatly.

She’s grinning happily, her face beaming even while the humidity has sweat spots showing on her tanktop and her hair is in a disarray, a long-limbed mess standing by her busted car on the road. ‘We’ll be okay.’

Junmyeon stares at her, at how gorgeous she is, and believes her.

-

The mechanic is closing up shop by the time they get the car in. An oil change and brand new tire would be done by noon the next day, so they’ll need to find a place to crash soon. Minseok points out a hotel that’s seen better days - a three storey, chipped plaster building crushed between an electronics repair shop and convenience store that sells a hundred different types of cigarrettes.

‘We have one large bed,’ says the receptionist.

Yixing makes a tired noise of agreement, so Junmyeon hands over her credit card, and Minseok lugs their bags up to the top floor.

The sheets and bathroom look clean enough, even if the wallpaper is a pink and white flower pattern that is a decade outdated. Minseok gets to the shower first because she’s the fastest, and Junmyeon changes slowly into her pajamas while Yixing flops on the bed.

‘C’mon,’ says Junmyeon, nudging Yixing’s foot, eyes trailing up the muscled curve of her calf to how her thigh disappears under her skirt. ‘Get changed.’

Yixing whines from the back of her throat, curling into herself a little.

Junmyeon sits up against the wall with the pillows against her back, petting Yixing’s hair, until Minseok walks out dressed in a loose tanktop and shorts, skin still gleaming with the damp. ‘What a baby.’

‘She _is_ the youngest,’ says Junmyeon, trailing her fingers through the long river of brown hair. ‘Tires herself out so fast.’

Minseok tips her head to the side, a glint in her eye. ‘Wanna wake her up?’

It’s _embarrassing_ how fast Junmyeon’s skin heats up at the suggestion but she ignores it, nodding and watching Minseok climb onto the bed, dropping the towel aside. Yixing mewls at the weight on the back of her legs but doesn’t move, seemingly content to just let Junmyeon comb her hair.

‘Up,’ murmurs Minseok, a hand disappearing up the skirt, seemingly cupping Yixing’s ass. Junmyeon sucks in a breath, slowly shifting until her legs are under her, kneeling at Yixing’s head. ‘Myeonnie’s watching.’

Yixing shifts, shivers, propping herself up on her elbows and looking back over her shoulder, her expression bleary-eyed and strands of hair falling in front of her face. ‘Minshuo.’

There’s something in how Yixing slurs her words when sleepy - dragging out the sounds with that flavour of Changsha that Junmyeon has never heard from anyone else. She swallows to try and dim the heat in simmering in her stomach just _listening_ to them, reaching to hold Yixing’s shoulders in some attempt to be useful.

Maybe it’s the dance major in her that has Yixing arching her spine as she holds herself up with her palms flat on the bed, thighs spread so wide that her ass still rests on the sheets. ‘Like this?’

Minseok scowls and slaps Yixing’s ass lightly, and Yixing laughs - sweet and soft - adjusting so that she’s on her hands and knees now.

‘It’s hard to make Xing-ah come, right,’ starts Minseok, voice perfectly conversational, and Junmyeon has to bite the inside of her cheek to not groan at the image of what Yixing must look like losing it - hair spread all out over the sheets and muscles going tight as she pants out one of those nicknames she seems to have for everyone.

‘Right,’ says Junmyeon, voice a little hoarse.

‘She has a secret.’ With a quick motion, Minseok flips over the skirt over so Yixing’s ass is in clear view, clad in bunny print cotton panties. ‘Rimming.’

Junmyeon’s not ashamed to say she’s already wet. ‘I wanna - ’

Minseok pauses, looking surprised. ‘For real?’

She doesn’t trust her voice so she nods.

‘You don’t have to,’ starts Yixing, sitting up to look at Junmyeon. ‘Dajie can do it - she’s done it before.’

The image of Yixing sprawled face-down ass up, Minseok eating her out, has Junmyeon exhaling ‘ _fuck_ ’ then kissing Yixing hard, hands already going for her clothes.

Yixing is always so soft and wet and eager, welcoming the intensity as she arches all her long, pretty limbs so that Junmyeon can strip her naked. Her bra and dress are tossed aside while Minseok drags her panties off, and they have Yixing between them, humming sweetly as Junmyeon licks into her mouth, drags her tongue along the other’s just to hear that lovely moan vibrate through her.

Of course, Yixing returns the favour - tracing over the delicate lacing of Junmyeon’s bra before she’s unclasping it, laughing at the matching lace panties because _of course_ Junmyeon - in her post-breakup anxiety - would pack matching sets of underwear.

Junmyeon is warm, laughing too, as Yixing falls over her, kisses her again and again. Minseok tickles along Junmyeon’s knees mid-makeout until Junmyeon almost coughs into Yixing’s mouth and she’s rolling halfway off the bed only to see that Minseok has taken the moment to get Yixing on her back against the sheets.

Where Minseok is packed muscle and bulk, solid to touch and grip, everything about her compact and strong, Yixing is lean and long, her skin tickled with marks and scars from old and recent dance injuries. Junmyeon kisses a healed cut over Yixing’s hip, follows it with butterfly kisses to her barely-there tits. Yet the smallness is perfect for Yixing and Junmyeon licks at the skin until Yixing hums.

Minseok joins on the other side, meets Junmyeon at Yixing’s sternum before kissing Junmyeon so wonderfully. Junmyeon reaches out to hold onto Minseok’s shoulder while they kiss, steadying herself as Minseok teasingly tugs at Junmyeon’s bottom lip, little teasing flicks of her tongue inside of Junmyeon’s mouth.

‘You’re both so beautiful,’ says Yixing, sincere and sweet as she always is. ‘This show would be better if Minseok was naked though.’

Junmyeon hums in agreement, sliding her hands down Minseok’s chest to the hem of the tanktop and tugging it up. There’s no bra to hide the small, soft perky breasts, and Junmyeon almost can’t believe she’s with two such ridiculously attractive people in bed at the _same_ time.

‘Shorts next,’ calls out Yixing.

Minseok rolls her eyes, tugging the waistband over her hips to reveal her bright red thong.

‘Fuck,’ says Junmyeon without realizing, her belly tight with how Minseok looks in barely-there string, hair all waxed off before this trip apparently cause there wasn’t even stubble since the last time Junmyeon saw her cunt. ‘How can you just - be so - fucking _hot_.’

‘Whatever,’ scoffs Minseok even as her hands slide down her stomach to frame her thong. ‘They’re comfy.’

‘You should’ve sat on her face while still wearing your thong last time,’ says Yixing, and Junmyeon involuntarily makes a noise. It was so _easy_ to get riled up between them both.

‘For next time,’ says Minseok. ‘Right now, you need to turn around.’

Yixing sighs even as she does as told. ‘Should’ve brought toys.’

‘You brought a bag of weed,’ sooths Junmyeon, dragging a hand up the back of Yixing’s thigh, feeling the muscle clench underneath her touch. Yixing also has a small ass - not as tight and toned as Minseok’s, just soft and striped with stretch marks going up along her hips.

‘Junmyeonnie’s going to take your ass,’ says Minseok as she crawls over to the head of the bed, sitting in front of Yixing propped up on her hands. ‘I’ll have your face.’

Kneeling behind Yixing’s ass, Junmyeon can see the dark hair along Yixing’s cunt, traces her fingers along the labia to gather the wetness there. Yixing shivers, nods - ‘you can switch with dajie if it gets too much, Junmian.’

‘Yeah,’ says Junmyeon, cupping Yixing’s ass and spreading her open. ‘Not gonna happen.’

‘I told you she fingered her boyfriends,’ says Minseok.

‘I just couldn’t imagine it with Yifan,’ whines Yixing, and Junmyeon thinks about interrupting but decides on dipping down to drag her tongue across Yixing’s hole.

Immediately, Yixing tenses up, and Minseok whistles low. ‘Get her all sloppy and wet.’

Junmyeon licks again - dragging it out slow and deliberate - and Yixing downright whines, so unbelievably _sensitive_. With reactions like that, Junmyeon doesn’t hesitate anymore. She keeps Yixing’s ass spread and flicks at the rim with the tip of her tongue, tries to start loosening her up.

Yixing is mewling by the time Junmyeon can wriggle just the tip of her tongue in. Her hole is pink and wet, her cunt dripping enough to get the inside of her thighs sticky. Junmyeon rubs the pad of her thumb over the muscle, feeling it clench and relax underneath, as if Yixing couldn’t decide whether she wanted something inside yet.

‘Please, please,’ she pants, having dropped to her elbows against the bed, forehead leaning on the mattress. ‘Please, just - _ah - haaaah_ \- there, _there_ \- ’

Junmyeon flicks her thumbnail along the rim again, and Yixing cries out, hips bucking.

When Junmyeon looks up to see if Minseok was okay, she’s struck with the sight of Minseok leaning back against the pillows, two fingers pumping into her pussy as she watches Yixing get eaten out, and Junmyeon can only feel herself heat up more. ‘Minseokkie.’

Minseok nods, her cheeks flushed and eyes hooded. ‘So good, you’re making Xing-ah feel so good.’ Yixing moans into the bed, but clearly it’s not enough. Minseok takes a fistful of Yixing’s hair, brings her head up, and Junmyeon can only _imagine_ what kind of gorgeous expression Yixing is making. ‘You should tell Myeonnie-ah how good you feel, yeah.’

‘Yeah.’ Letting go of Yixing’s hair, Minseok settles back, and Yixing props herself back on her elbows. ‘Junmian, please.’

She goes back to Yixing’s ass, hooking her thumb inside and prodding at the skin with her tongue. Yixing whines, arches her back, and Junmyeon takes it as encouragement - tries to spread her hole to lick inside.

‘Yixing,’ reminds Minseok, her voice wrecked as her fingers work into her pussy faster.

‘Yes, ah - Jun _mian_ \- ’ Yixing’s fingers scrabble over the sheet when Junmyeon manages to slip her tongue next to her thumb. ‘So warm, so wet, stretch me open, please, fingers, tongue - ’

Minseok muffles a groan, biting her bottom lip, as she comes around her fingers, soaking them in slick. Junmyeon can _see_ how the pleasure ripples over her - muscles going tight with each pulse - until the orgasm finally eases off. Her fingers are still pumping into her pussy, and finally Minseok draws them out, holds them out for Yixing to lick clean.

‘God, fuck,’ groans Junmyeon, watching with wide eyes as Yixing tips her head to the side, showing her profile, how her lips are open and flushed, pink tongue out to curl around Minseok’s pretty, small fingers, bringing them in to suck on with a loud, wet noise.

Yixing bobs her head, picking up the pace, and Minseok is gasping at the sensation, meeting Junmyeon’s eyes with a soft moan. Junmyeon gets the message and goes back to Yixing’s ass - dragging the flat of her tongue wetly across the hole. She drools all over the skin, uncaring how messy it is, if only so her thumb can keep rubbing along the rim so that Yixing can shiver and loosen up.

She pauses at a pop sound, realizes it’s Minseok’s fingers leaving Yixing’s mouth, and groans against Yixing’s hole, working her thumb back inside. It takes a moment for Junmyeon to realize that Yixing’s moans have gone muffled and when she takes a peek, it’s to the sight of Minseok with her thighs spread wide, fingers fisted into Yixing’s hair as Yixing eats her pussy out.

Junmyeon’s own pussy is _aching_ and _leaking_ but she ignores it - wants to make this good for Yixing, knows that Minseok and her won’t forget to make Junmyeon come, especially considering their first time together.

With one thumb in Yixing’s ass, Junmyeon starts to work her other one - spits over Yixing’s ass and gets her tongue up against the rim, licking quick and fast. Yixing is shuddering, her pussy so slick, and Minseok’s gasps seem to be coming from having Yixing whine pathetically up against her cunt.

Finally, Junmyeon has both her thumbs in, spreads Yixing’s hole just a little, just _enough_ , and Yixing is pulling away when Junmyeon’s tongue slips right inside - ‘oh fuck, fuck, _fuck_ \- fucking me with her _tongue_ \- _da_ jie - ’

Minseok swears, slips her own fingers into her sopping wet pussy. ‘Gonna ride up on her face, Xing?’

‘Yeah, yes, _please_ ,’ stutters Yixing, and Junmyeon almost loses balance at how Yixing’s hips roll, trying to fuck herself open on Junmyeon’s fingers and tongue. ‘ _More_ \- feels so good, Junmian - fuck me, please - ’

Junmyeon pulls out her thumbs and slides a finger inside instead, twists it when she draws it back so the knuckles catch along the rim, and Yixing sobs - ‘ _more_.’

Two fingers and one tongue later, and Yixing is no longer coherent - her hips roll into each thrust of Junmyeon’s hand as she mouths sloppily over Minseok’s clit. Minseok holds onto Yixing’s hair to keep her still, fucks herself open on her own fingers. Junmyeon is still untouched, now _sure_ she’s practically dripping all over the bed, but she doesn’t stop, not yet, not when Yixing was so, _so close_.

‘Gotta come, gotta come,’ encourages Junmyeon, pulling out her two fingers and slowly, carefully, getting three inside. Yixing’s keen vibrates through Minseok’s clit, has Minseok panting hard as her hips try to ride up against Yixing’s face, keeping pace with her own fingers.

Junmyeon only gets half a dozen thrusts in before the pace is taken away from her - the stretch and the way Yixing’s rim dragged along the knuckles makes Yixing’s knees slip apart, have her thighs and ass working to fuck her own ass open on Junmyeon’s hand. She lets it happen, mesmerized by the sight of Yixing’s pretty, pink hole so flushed and wet, warm as it took Junmyeon’s fingers so easily, so fucking _desperately_.

Minseok manages a, ‘shit, is she bouncing her ass on your fingers - ’ before she comes for the second time, knocking her head back and grinding her clit into Yixing’s mouth. Yixing dutifully licks at the slick, keeps at it until Minseok whines and pulls back, her body weak so it looks like she tries to scramble away.

Junmyeon can’t laugh because she’s so fucking turned on, has the sight of Yixing fucking herself open with desperate motions, trying to get Junmyeon’s fingers deep, drag out the stretch when she pulls herself up. It takes a moment for Junmyeon to register she can meet Yixing halfway, move her fingers so that Yixing can go faster, get to that edge frantic and desperate.

Yixing sobs out when she feels Junmyeon keep up, each fuck of Junmyeon’s fingers punching out a little gasp. Her pussy is swollen, dripping, but Junmyeon doesn’t know if she can touch - only got told to eat her ass out. Neither Minseok or Yixing seem to care either and Junmyeon soon finds out it’s because Yixing can come just like this.

It’s right when Junmyeon’s arm is burning, finger-fucking Yixing’s ass that Yixing’s desperate cries splutter out and her body goes tight. Junmyeon can only watch as Yixing almost collapses onto the bed, her pussy drenching itself with come as she weakly fucks herself back onto Junmyeon’s hand. Her ass is milking Junmyeon’s fingers - going impossibly tight with each pulse of pleasure, relaxing like she was melting.

Finally, Yixing rides out her orgasm, lets Junmyeon’s fingers slip out of her as she lies flat on her stomach against the bed, breathing already evening out.

‘Holy… shit…’ manages Junmyeon, still amazed, feeling turned on beyond description. She’s shaking as she crawls over to Minseok, eyes wide, and Minseok takes no pity on her.

Too fast to keep up, Minseok is pinning her flat against the bed, two fingers sliding along Junmyeon’s pussy, sliding easily inside of her. Her tongue is lapping at Junmyeon’s nipple as she finger-fucks Junmyeon rough and frantic. Junmyeon is lost - can’t even find her voice to moan over how good it felt. She shakes through her first orgasm that comes much too fast, has her shuddering hard, her nails leaving red lines over Minseok’s shoulders as she holds on.

Minseok doesn’t let up. She fucks Junmyeon through her first orgasm and keeps at it even when Junmyeon is so sore and sensitive already - pausing only to add a finger so that Junmyeon can get that stretch that she fucking loves. All of her is vibrating, her skin hot, and her brain complete white noise as Minseok works her pussy so hard, rough, ruthless.

Junmyeon tosses her head side to side, mouth gaping open and pathetically noiseless, when her second orgasm comes so quickly, drenching Minseok’s hand. She’s shaking so hard that she’s sure she would’ve fallen off the bed had her arms not been locked around Minseok’s shoulders.

‘That good? You good?’ Minseok’s voice is soft, her eyes searching Junmyeon’s face, as she draws out her fingers. ‘Junmyeon, Junmyeonnie.’

It takes a second of gasping before Junmyeon registers Minseok’s voice. She nods weakly, refuses to let go of Minseok, just needing to stay close until her body figured its way back to reality.

Minseok huffs, fond smile on her face, and somehow uses all her jock strength to get the three of them under a blanket. They’ll be sticky and disgusting tomorrow, but Junmyeon can’t find herself to care when she’s tucked so warm and close and safe here.

-

‘My ass is sore, so Minseok has to drive the rest of the way,’ declares Yixing after lunch, picking up their car from the mechanic.

It takes all of Junmyeon’s self-control to not turn into a turned on, leaking mess when all the memories of last night flood back into her head. They were in _public_. Minseok only scowls and complains a little, even while holding Yixing’s hand, and Yixing has her arm hooked around Junmyeon’s - the three of them taking up all the walking space like annoying teenagers.

There’s a moment where she supposes she could go ahead or lag behind, but for now - for this moment, right here, in Yanchen, walking along a nameless residential street, Junmyeon refuses to move away and presses herself all that much closer to Yixing.

-

The drive to Qingdao is uneventful.

Junmyeon drowses in the backseat while Minseok plays one of the old CDs found in the dash panel, something Yixing’s mother must’ve forgotten to taken out. It’s mostly soft ballads, beats slowed down, outdated by a decade.

The sky looks the same, as does the highway. The ocean is out of sight, but the salt smell lingers in Junmyeon’s hair when the wind whips past her face from the open window. There are fast food wrappers crumpled on the floor mat from when they had grabbed a quick meal before driving out again. Junmyeon kicks one of the two half-empty water bottles, watches it  roll back and forth across the floor mat, condensation beaded on the inside of the plastic, as the kilometres rush by under them.

In the sunlight, Minseok’s skin is even more golden-honey. Beside her, Yixing’s hair is collected in a loose ponytail at the nape of her neck, strands of it sticking to the sweat between her shoulders.

The singer croons through the humid air and Junmyeon closes her eyes.

-

‘She’s an old friend,’ says Yixing as she directs Minseok to the apartment. Junmyeon can smell fried fish balls from the street stall around the corner, whines for food. ‘After we meet up, Junmian.’

The friend is tall, with beautiful long black hair and high cheekbones, a mouth that reminds Junmyeon of Jongdae’s own. She introduces herself as Zitao, with the same long limbs that Yixing has, lean with muscle and moving with that admirable fluidity that Junmyeon has always marveled.

Zitao’s apartment has two bedrooms, for her and her roommate Shixun - ‘ah, call me Sehun’ - and they’ve already cooked dinner, laid it out for their arrival.

Junmyeon sits beside Minseok and can’t help but steal glances between Zitao and Sehun, a girl just as tall with short hair that falls just past her ears, so pale in comparison to Zitao’s golden-brown summer skin. They sit closely to one another, stealing touches without thinking, leaning into one another when talking, whispering, laughing. It’s the way Zitao’s eyes sparkle when she looks at Sehun, the way Sehun has a special bitten-off sort of smile she only shows Zitao.

‘They’re in love,’ she tells Yixing afterwards - the three of them cloistered to their room after dinner, Minseok in the shower already.

Yixing laughs, shrugs off her clothes to put on a nightie for bed. ‘They’ve been in love for years.’

‘Years?’ Junmyeon grabs a change of clothes and one of the towels that have been set aside for them. ‘Haven’t they done anything about it?’

‘Done anything?’ Moving to the bed, Yixing sits down, purses her mouth in thought. ‘I don’t think that matters.’

Junmyeon swallows. ‘Do - do we matter?’

She doesn’t know what kind of answer she’s expecting to such a spontaneous question, hasn’t really given it much thought to it herself. She just thought she could ride this - _this_ being some sort of escape for the time being. A vacation to a place that doesn’t exist, at least not in the way she thought could exist. She couldn’t be with them forever - not both of them, not when she had her own life to figure it out just yet.

Yixing just looks at her, expression soft. ‘Of course, Junmian. We’ve always mattered, before the sex too.’

It hits her then, has her chest clenching in embarrassment and a little shame. ‘Yes - yeah, I just - ’

‘Hey.’ Reaching out, Yixing curls her fingers around Junmyeon’s wrist, warming her, grounding her. ‘Just cause we’re not _together_ -together doesn’t mean we won’t always be here for each other.’

‘I love you,’ says Junmyeon, so terribly vulnerable.

And Yixing laughs so sweet and soft, holding onto Junmyeon so she can’t run. ‘I love you too.’

‘I should tell Minseok.’

‘I think Minshuo-jie knows,’ she says.

Junmyeon nods, sliding her wrist from Yixing’s grasp so she can intertwine their fingers together. ‘Still - I want her to know from me.’

-

It’s the most anticlimactic, also the most relieving.

Junmyeon catches Minseok just leaving the bathroom and hustles them both back into the humid air, trying not to slip on the tiles. Minseok goes with it, the surprised expression softening when she seems to catch the determination in Junmyeon’s eyes.

‘Hey,’ starts Junmyeon, holding her towel to her chest so it’s an awkward lump shoved between them both.

‘Hey,’ replies Minseok, snorting and wrenching the towel out, tossing it over the bathroom counter. ‘What’s up?’

‘I love you,’ she says.

Minseok nods, ‘I love you too.’ She looks back at the towel, sees Junmyeon’s change of clothes slipping out from the folds, and neatly tucks them back in. ‘Anything else?’

‘No, not really.’ Junmyeon sees how the ends of Minseok’s wet hair curls, the damp sheen of humidity over her skin. ‘I need to shower now.’

‘Yeah, no kidding,’ says Minseok, giving her a once-over with her nose crinkling up. It’s obviously a joke, but Junmyeon yelps at the implication anyway, shoving her out of the bathroom.

‘You’d still get with this,’ retorts Junmyeon, can’t hold onto her faked annoyance and collapses into giggles when Minseok winks before leaving.

In the shower, Junmyeon cries - big fat tears rolling down her cheeks, snot smeared over her philtrum, trying to not get shampoo in her eyes as she gasps and sobs. Her chest feels light, belly warm, and Junmyeon can’t help it when all her surprise, her anxiety, her relief, finally unspools and escapes through her crying, spilling into the drain, emptying out of her.

When she’s finally done cleaning up - shampoo and soap and snot - she gets dressed, goes back into the bedroom.

Yixing is on one side with her earbuds and phone, and Minseok is lying down on the other side, opening up her eyes when she sees Junmyeon.

‘Come here,’ says Yixing, pulling out an earbud.

Junmyeon crawls into the middle of the bed, grins when Minseok throws an arm around her waist, when she feels one of Yixing’s cold feet tickle her calf. This is where she fits.

-

The ferry from Qingdao to Seoul is only a couple hours. Sehun helps them book tickets since she’s done the trip dozens of times, living with Zitao and all. Their luggage is unpacked from the car and kept in the apartment while they help clean out the car so Yixing can drive up to Beijing without possible rotting food stinking up the back.

With the bags comes Yixing’s precious Cassie - a Casio keyboard that Minseok puts up on its stands, proudly displayed in the main room next to Zitao’s wushu bo hung up on the wall. After dinner, Yixing stretches out her fingers and gleefully plays her own compositions for them to listen.

‘I even took a sample of Zhongda singing in the shower one night,’ she says, gesturing to her phone. ‘I’ll let you all know once I’ve used that mp3 to make something on Cassie.’

‘Wait, does Jongdae _know_?’ Junmyeon asks.

Yixing pauses. ‘Well, he’ll know if the song ever goes viral.’

‘ _Yixing_ \- !’

-

They have a day to spend in Qingdao before both Minseok and Junmyeon get on the ferry.

Zitao and Sehun spoil them in food, take them around for some shopping and point out a couple buildings. Junmyeon has some kebabs and relishes the different tastes of the beer, indulges Zitao in a dozen selfies while they walk around and doesn’t hesitate in joining rank when it came to teasing Sehun into a red scandalized mess.

In the evening, Zitao and Sehun go back to the apartment, and Yixing follows the signs to the beach. They have to finish the weed, she says, rolling out two joints with the help of Minseok. They use their phones for light and Minseok tries to teach Junmyeon how to carefully tuck the weed in the paper.

Junmyeon keeps the lighter handy - makes sure to light up the first joint while Yixing balances it between her lips. The firelight illuminates her lashes, the gorgeous curve of her jaw - she’s mesmerizing.

They sit there for hours in the sand - talking about nothing. Junmyeon feels a lot more practiced with taking her hits, happily opens her mouth when Minseok wants to shotgun the smoke into her. When they kiss, it’s sweet, soft, going nowhere. Under the comforting hum of conversation, Junmyeon can hear the tide of the ocean lap up against the beach, salt-spray riding the night-time breeze.

‘Will I ever see you guys again?’ she asks, lying back into the sand, riding out her high.

Beside her, Minseok nods. ‘We will.’

Yixing stands up, digging her toes deep into the warm sand. ‘I’m going to become a composer.’

Junmyeon looks up at her - tall and beautiful, so wonderfully _good_. ‘Yeah.’

Minseok stumbles onto her feet too, laughing at how relaxed she’s become. Placing her hands on her hips, she says, ‘I’m going to become a barista and own a coffeeshop.’

‘Anything else?’ Junmyeon says.

Biting her lip, Minseok closes her eyes, voice soft. ‘I’m going to meet Luhan again and this time we’ll stay.’

‘Yes,’ says Yixing, taking her hand. ‘We’ll all meet each other - this year, next year, in ten years. And that’s when we’ll stay.’

Slowly, Junmyeon pushes herself up on her feet, stands next to Minseok, meeting her gaze when Minseok opens her eyes and smiles at her.

‘I’m,’ starts Junmyeon, staring out into the night sky populated with stars, the flash when the tide catches the light, a dark horizon where the sun would come up. ‘I’m going to make it my own way - without Yifan, without all those plans I thought I had.’ Minseok’s other hand comes and holds hers. ‘I’ll be okay. I’ll be fine.’ She shakes her head, laughs out loud: ‘ _we’ll_ be fine.’

-

Junmyeon gets on the ferry the next day.

She waves goodbye to Zitao and Sehun, to Qingdao, to China, and Yixing too who stands amidst the crowd in a bright yellow sundress, her hair whipping wildly with the coastline wind.

Beside her, Minseok is also waving. Once the ferry pulls away, they settle on the deck. Their luggage bump against their legs, and Minseok is making jokes about her wicked tank top strap tan on her shoulders. The sun is high in the sky, and the seagulls screech up above and they’re drinking their iced coffee that’s more ice than coffee now.

‘Vacation’s over, huh,’ says Minseok, kicking her legs out.

‘Time to get to work,’ replies Junmyeon. ‘I’ll miss you both.’

‘Same.’

As the coastline of Qingdao vanishes behind them, Junmyeon says, ‘we were supposed to get lost together.’

‘Yeah.’

‘I think I found myself instead,’ says Junmyeon with a grin.

Minseok pauses, then makes a choking noise - ‘ _god_ , you’re so _cheesy_ ,’ - and stares as Junmyeon starts laughing, ends up laughing with her too, incredulous and glad and _happy_.

All the way home.

-

**Author's Note:**

> my first attempt at both roadtrip au and this ot3~ I hope you enjoyed; thank you for reading!!


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